25 Jul

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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

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Terrorism has no color, religion or nationality

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

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y deepest sympathy and condolences go to the families of those who lost loved ones and those who were injured in the carnage in Norway. This was a horrible act of terrorism that took place in tranquil and serene Norway. All of a sudden that beautiful country was in tremor.

I heard the news on the way back from a trip to the Holy Land with a group of journalists from Kuwait. My son was accompanying me on the Jordan-Kuwait leg of the trip. He was also shocked, upset and angry because we thought that such an act of violence will be immediately pinned on extreme groups such as Al-Qaeda, or Afghanistan or Yemen-based groups etc, etc. All throughout the flight we were discussing the reaction of Europe towards Muslims and those residing in Europe, especially after the Islamphobia that has captured Europe and the West for the last 10 years.

Wherever there is an explosion, it would immediately be pinned on a Muslim terrorist group. My son and myself started imagining what reaction Europe would take this time round. The loss is big, beyond tolerance. The number of casualties is beyond comprehension.

Naturally, we thought the reaction of Europe will be beyond tolerance for all Muslims.

I couldn’t wait to reach Kuwait and find out more news about the perpetrator of this horrible act of terrorism. The first channel I clicked on happened to be France’s 24. I saw the headlines that a rightwing Christian Norwegian, Anders Behring Breivik, who belongs to an extreme group, claimed responsibility for killing over 90 people on the island of Utoeya near Oslo. As the story kept developing, Anders was described as a madman. Before he was caught, however, many Western-based news agencies were reporting that so far, no Muslim organization has claimed responsibility for the terrorist act.

Maybe this bloodbath in Oslo will change the way humans think about other humans. To be a terrorist you don’t have to be Christian, Jew or Muslim. You don’t have to be black, white or Caucasian. You don’t need to be Western or Eastern. And of course you don’t have to be Norwegian.

BUENOS AIRES: Uruguayan captain Diego Lugano holds the trophy and celebrates with teammates and coaching staff at the end of the 2011 Copa America football tournament final against Paraguay at the Monumental stadium yesterday. Uruguay won 3-0. — AFP (See Page 20)

Car bomb kills 9 Yemen troops ADEN: A suicide bomber yesterday detonated a pickup truck packed with explosives at an army camp in Aden, killing nine soldiers, a military source said, amid raging battles between troops and Islamist militants. The defence ministry blamed Al-Qaeda for the massive blast, which soldiers said tore through military vehicles as they were leaving the army camp. The military source said that nine people were killed and 21 others wounded in the blast, and that some of the wounded were in serious condition, including four who were evacuated by helicopter to the capital Sanaa. A text message from the defence ministry’s news service received by AFP said that the bomber was from Al-Qaeda, but put the toll at four killed rather than nine.

The attack comes just days after another bombing in Aden, the main city in southern Yemen, in which British marine surveyor David Mockett was killed. A Yemeni intelligence officer said that bombing carried “the fingerprints of Al-Qaeda”. Yemen’s volatile south has been wracked by fighting between troops and Islamist militants suspected of ties to Al-Qaeda, with at least 12 soldiers killed in the past week alone at Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province, northwest of Aden.

Those killings came after Ayad Al-Shabwani, a leader of the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, died during fighting near Zinjibar on Tuesday, a military official said, adding that dozens of soldiers had been wounded. Soldiers told AFP that yesterday’s blast occurred as troops prepared to leave the army camp for Abyan province.

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SUNDVOLLEN, Norway: Norway mourned yesterday 93 people killed in a shooting spree and car bombing by a Norwegian who saw his attacks as “atrocious, but necessary” to defeat liberal immigration policies and the spread of Islam. In his first comment via a lawyer since his arrest, Anders Behring Breivik, 32, said he wanted to explain himself at a court hearing today about extending his custody. “He has said that he believed the actions were atrocious, but that in his head they were necessary,” Geir Lippestad said.

The lawyer said Breivik had admitted to Friday’s shootings at a Labour party youth camp and the bombing that killed seven people in Oslo’s government district a few hours earlier. However, “he feels that what he has done does not deserve punishment,” Lippestad told NRK public television. “What he has said is that he wants a change in society and in his understanding, in his head, there must be a revolution.”

Oslo’s acting police chief Sveinung Sponheim confirmed to reporters that Breivik would be able to speak to the court. It was not clear whether the hearing would be closed or in public. “He has admitted to the facts of both the bombing and the shooting, although he’s not admitting criminal guilt,” Sponheim said, adding that Breivik had said he acted alone. Police were checking this because some witness statements from the island spoke of more than one gunman, Sponheim said.

The violence, Norway’s worst since World War Two, has profoundly shocked the usually peaceful nation of 4.8 million. King Harald and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg were among mourners at a service in Oslo cathedral, where the premier spoke emotionally about the victims, some of whom he knew. “This represents a national tragedy,” he declared. Tearful people placed flowers and candles outside the cathedral. Soldiers with guns and wearing bullet-proof vests blocked streets leading to the government district.

Continued on Page 13

Army tightens screws on Homs Assad sacks Deir Ezzor governor DAMASCUS: The Syrian army consolidated its grip on the hotbed city of Homs yesterday, activists said, as embattled President Bashar AlAssad sacked the governor of a flashpoint province 48 hours after massive anti-regime protests.

Security forces also rounded up hundreds of civilians in Damascus and made a spate of arrests in the town of Sarakeb in the northwestern province of Idlib near the Turkish border, activists said. In Homs, troops backed by tanks “deployed heavily in Duar AlFakhura and around the neighbourhood of Al-Nazihin,” said Abdel Karim Rihawi, who heads the Syrian League for the Defence of Human Rights. He said the operation was apparently aimed at “preparing to carry out a military and security operation in the region”.

More than 50 people have been killed in the past week in Homs, 160 km north of Damascus, either by army gunfire or in clashes between rival demonstrators, rights activists have said.

Continued on Page 13

BEIRUT: A Syrian boy, with writing on his forehead that reads ‘Syria is protected by God’, stands in front of a picture of Syrian President Bashar Assad outside the Syrian embassy yesterday. Nearly 2,000 supporters of Assad gathered outside the embassy carrying a giant Syrian flag. — AP

in the

news

Riyadh: New law to be used against terrorists

Leading Islamic school ousts reformist leader

Murderous Qaeda cell in Baghdad smashed

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Britain has denied charges by Amnesty International that a planned anti-terrorism law will be used to stifle dissent and prevent prodemocracy protests. “Amnesty International’s reference that this planned law will be used against what it describes as opposition rather than terrorists is wrong,” said Nawaf bin Abdulaziz in a statement carried on the official SPA news agency. The Draft Penal Law for Terrorism Crimes and Financing Terrorism, published on Amnesty’s website, would allow extended detention without charge or trial and impose a minimum 10-year jail sentence on anyone questioning the integrity of the king or crown prince.

“There have been many terrorist actions before... which resulted in the death of dozens of people and the spread of terror,” the ambassador’s statement said. “Today, the eradicating of these (terror) cells is largely due to the efforts by the Saudi security forces. Despite that, the regional turmoil has provided a fertile ground for new threats,” he added.

NEW DELHI: One of the world’s most revered schools of Islamic learning ousted its reformist leader yesterday, just months into his term, after he praised a Hindu nationalist politician loathed by many Muslims in India. Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi had pledged to update the Darul Uloom seminary’s curriculum and rein in hardline religious edicts when he became vice chancellor in January. But within days he upset conservatives and sparked protests by praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s development policies and reportedly saying Muslims in that western state should move on from the 2002 communal riots that left hundreds dead.

Vastanvi The board of the 150-year-old institution in the northern town of Deoband voted yesterday to replace 60-year-old Vastanvi, who is also an MBA, with Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani. (See Page 11)

BAGHDAD: Iraqi security forces have smashed an Al-Qaeda network allegedly responsible for more than 100 killings in Baghdad, an anti-terrorism official said yesterday. “Interior ministry forces dismantled (an) Al-Qaeda network that was responsible for more than 100 murders of policemen, soldiers, judges, officials and jewellers in Baghdad,” said Major General Ahmed Abu Raghif, head of an anti-terrorism police unit. The cell was also behind the May 26 assassination of Ali Al-Lami, head of the Justice and Accountability Commission which investigates issues relating to the former regime of executed dictator Saddam Hussein, he said.

The group was responsible for a failed May 8 prison escape at an interior ministry detention centre in Baghdad which resulted in the deaths of 11 Al-Qaeda militants and six police, the official added. That mutiny was triggered by Huthaifa Al-Batawi, suspected of masterminding an Oct 31 Al-Qaeda raid on a Baghdad church in which 44 worshippers, two priests and seven members of the security forces were killed. (See Page 8)

HAVANA: Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez (right) and Argentina’s football legend Diego Maradona bump fists as Cuba’s leader Fidel Castro looks on Friday. Maradona visited the Venezuelan leader who’s receiving cancer treatment in Cuba.

— AP (See Page 10)

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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

local

Ministry prepares for next academic year KUWAIT: More than 373,000 students will attend nearly 800 public schools across the country in the next academic year, according to statistics recorded in a preliminary report compiled by officials from the Ministry of Education (MoE).

Committees that have been tasked with preparing for the next academic year (2011-2012) prepared the report which will help assess students’ requirements in terms of supplies.

According to estimates, a total of 373,161 stationery will be distributed to 15,363 classrooms in 795 schools around Kuwait’s six governorates.

Moreover, the ministry plans to assess schools’ capacities using the statistics to

determine if new schools need to be opened at certain areas, and also to ensure that classrooms only have an average of 25 students each, reported Al-Rai. Meanwhile, the MoE’s Council of Undersecretaries held a meeting last night to discuss the option of providing iPads to students instead of laptop computers, as per a project that the ministry plans to implement at public schools, reported AlJarida.

Discussions focused on comparisons between the features of each device (higher storage capacity and durability of laptops compared to the smaller size, better mobility and applications feature of iPads).— Al-Rai, Al-Jarida

Conflicting reports on new Internet access rates KUWAIT: Amid conflicting reports received from Ministry of Communication (MoC) officials about providing Internet access at reduced rates in the country, users continue to wait for the decisions to be implemented. Service providers are also waiting to receive an official confirmation before selling services at new rates.

Shortly after holding a meeting with local Internet Service Providers (ISP) last Thursday, MoC Undersecretary Abdulmuhsin Al-Muzaidi announced that new rates will officially be introduced with-

in a week. However, Salem Al-Othaina the Minister of Electricity and Water and Acting Minister of Communication and Information said that new prices will not appear before the start of next month, reported Al-Jarida. Meanwhile, reports have suggested that local ISPs are waiting for the ministry to fulfill a part of the deal, which is to reduce the monthly payment collected in lieu of renting international services. Furthermore, ISPs argue that they have not received an official letter from the ministry informing them of the same.

Residents demand actions against Salmiya ‘bordello’ KUWAIT: A number of Salmiya residents are pleading with the interior minister to crack down on the illegal activities which they insist are taking place at a compound located on Amman Street.

In a joint letter sent to local daily Annahar, the outraged local residents, both Kuwaitis and expatriates, asserted that af ter a large number of young women were arrested for prostitution during a previous raid in the compound in question, they had discovered that many of those detained had been released shortly afterwards and gone

straight back to work there due to using their high-level connections. The signatories said that the compound had even become a destination for dissolute individuals from other GCC countries seeking drugs, alcohol and prostitutes of both sexes, as well as gambling and contraband goods. The alarmed residents urged interior minister Sheikh Ahmad AlHumoud Al-Sabah, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, to end the illegal practices, saying that these “damage Kuwait’s reputation both inside and outside the country.” — Annahar

KUWAIT: The Egyptian Ambassador to Kuwait Tahar Farhat recently hosted a reception to celebrate his country’s National Day at Salwa Sabah Hall. Several diplomats and dignitaries graced the occasion. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Kuwait subjected to ‘libelous campaign’ US reports prejudiced KUWAIT: One day after Kuwait’s labor minister was quoted in the press as blaming ‘prejudice’ behind the continuous criticism against his country in US State Department’s reports, new claims have emerged suggesting that the reports are compiled by US citizens of Arab origin who might have a hidden agenda against Kuwait. The latest news report, which quotes senior government insiders speaking anonymously, claims that Kuwait is being subjected to a “libelous campaign” committed by Arab-American officials “who provide incorrect information and false accusations serving their own reasons.”

In quotes published in the press a day before, a senior member of the Kuwaiti government strongly condemned the criticism of Kuwait

contained in the US State Department’s latest report on human rights, which ranked the Gulf country at the lowest level for the third successive year.

Kuwait’s “delay in enforcing regulations doesn’t reflect a legislative void in Kuwait,” insisted Minister of Justice Dr. Mohammed Al-Afasi. The senior leadership figure, who is also the country’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and the Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs, insisted that Kuwait respects the rights of all expatriate workers “since all violations in that regard are punishable by criminal law.”

In the most recent US State Department annual human rights report, Kwuait continued to be relegated to ‘Tier 3,’ the lowest level of compliance with human rights leg-

islation, principally due to what the report said was the failure to enforce legislation offering protection to domestic workers or to pass anti-human trafficking laws.

Legislation on both issues is already in front of parliament and is expected to be enforced during the next parliamentary term, the minister indicated. “The report always ignores the regulations enforced every year which protect the rights of the workforce, and focuses on the issues of human trafficking and domestic workers,” Dr. Al-Afasi complained, adding the repeated criticisms over the past four years “suggest that the US State Department reports are prejudiced against Kuwait.”

The minister continued, “The fact that the International Labor

Organization removed Kuwait from its blacklist is a testament to the fact that Kuwait has been committed to international regulations,” added the senior government member, further noting that the ILO’s decision further supports the idea that the US State Department reports “are based on an inaccurate foundation.”

Dr. Al-Afasi further asserted that the US State Department’s reports are “not international and speak from their [the US’s] own viewpoint,” adding pointedly that “the United States has violated human rights on numerous occasions, especially after the September 11 attacks when prisoners were locked up in the Guantanamo Bay prison camp without trial, and restrictions are put in place on travel.” —Al-Rai

Inaccurate tests for diagnosing TB halted before WHO warning: MoH KUWAIT: Inaccurate tests that World Health Organization (WHO) warned against its use for diagnosing active tuberculosis, when examining foreign labor who seek residence permits, have been already halted in Kuwait since a whole year, Director of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Health Dr. Fatma Al-Saidi said yesterday.

Dr. Al-Saidi added that the ministry forestalled the WHO warning one year before its issue in view of its previous knowledge of the inaccuracy of such tests and its outputs on the treatment tuberculosis, making clear that the use of these tests at the tuberculosis treatment

department comes within the narrowest limits, and as a sort of following up complicated cases, and not for diagnosis.

She also said that such tests which depend on examining blood for diagnosing active TB, which WHO warned against reliance on them, may lead to inaccurate diagnosis and findings in what allows the entrance of tuberculosis cases to the country, and threatens the public health.

Further, she pointed out that the public health department follows up the latest developments as well as the recommendations made by WHO in this respect including the

warning that was recently published on July 20

by WHO website in which Dr. Mario Raviglione, Director of WHO Stop TB Department said that the use of currently available commercial blood (serological) tests to diagnose active tuberculosis (TB) often leads to misdiagnosis.

She concluded by saying that Public Health Department depends on the most accurate tests to diagnose tuberculosis among the foreign labor before giving them physical fitness certificates that enable them to stay in the country, a measure which protects society as a whole against the risks of tuberculosis infection. — KUNA

Lecture on Ramadan held

11% of MoE diwan project complete KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works announced yesterday that 11 percent of the construction works on the Ministry of Education’s new public diwan building has been finished, with the building work scheduled for completion by June 2014.

The announcement was made by project manager Adel Al-Ali, who told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the new building, located in the Ministries Zone in South Surra, is being constructed in the shape of a traditional Kuwaiti ‘boum,’ one of the vessels used for centuries by earlier generations of Kuwaitis for trade and pearl-diving.

“The building consists of two separate arcuate-shaped [bow-like] buildings connected in the middle”, Al-Ali explained, adding that the interior will include a large yard decorated with special lightings and garden-like decorations “similar to those seen in govern-

ment buildings in Washington D.C.” Al-Ali further explained that the two modernist glass and steel buildings will be constructed on a two-story base resurfaced in gray stone, noting at the same time that one of the buildings will consist of nine stories, while the other will have eleven.

The construction will also include a three-tier basement parking lot, connected to the inner yard by elevators and escalators, Al-Ali revealed, further noting that the impressive new HQ will also feature a 600-seat theater.

The building’s exterior is set to include a special computer-controlled LED lighting system to be used on special occasions like national holidays.

The MoE’s public diwan is being constructed in the South Surra Ministries Zone so as to reduce traffic congestion nearer the ministr y ’s headquar ters building in Kuwait City. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The National Guard’s Club organized an informative lecture for its female employees on the holy month of Ramadan.

Suaad Al-Khodari delivered the lecture and focused on different issues related to fasting during the holy month, in addition to enumerating all the religious aspects including health

benefits.

She explained the ‘do’s and don’t’s’ and the correct manner of fasting.

Colonel Mohammad Al-Farhan Chairman of the Club emphasized that the National Guards is keen on hosting more informative programs, in addition to discussing a wide range of topical subjects.

Kuwait students in UK thank PM for health insurance LONDON: Chairman of the National Union of Kuwait Students Office in the UK and Ireland, Hamad Hamoud Al-Shammari extended here yesterday thanks to all who have helped in the adoption of health insurance for Kuwaiti students studying in the UK, headed by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah and Minister of Health, Dr Hilal Al-Sayer.

In a press statement, Al-Shammari also thanked Director of the Health Office in London Dr Yacob Al-Tamar, Cultural Attache and head of the office in London, Dr. Mohammed Al-Hajri and Cultural Attache Dr. Nibal Bouresli for their effort and cooperation in order to achieve this project.

He added that the Union has established a special committee to follow up

implementation of the health insurance under the supervision and follow-up of head of the graduate committee in the Union Ali Abdul Rahman Al-Kandari, in coordination with cultural and health offices in London.

He explained that this Committee will work, according to the memorandum of cooperation signed last week with the heads of cultural and health offices to support the efforts to complete the project requirements of health insurance with the British insurance company (BUPA) through communication with students. He called on students studying in the UK to send a copy of their valid student visa along with the visas of the family members, in addition to the housing information, phone numbers and e-mail and the academic advisor in the cultural office. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Ahmad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah yesterday met with the Senior Advisor at the British Ministry of Defence, Lt. Gen. Simon Mayall, to discuss issues of mutual interest and ways to strengthen bilateral defense and military cooperation. Lt. Gen. Ahmad Al-Khalid received the British official and his accompanying delegation during their visit to Kuwait to discuss bilateral military issues.

Pres polit

By A Saleh

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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

TLOCAL

kuwait digest

Local Spotlight

‘Show us proof’

Summer holiday or summer disaster?

By Iqbal Al-Ahmad he subject of co-education at the Kuwait University has hogged the spotlight on numerous occasions. Different opinions from varied perspectives have been offered. Many have discussed the subject from a religious standpoint, highlighting the importance of separating male and female students to avoid moral degradation.

On the other hand, he argued that a co-education ban would violate students’ freedom and deprive them of being responsible for their acts.

When the ban on co-education was placed, the country’s academic scenario was very different, especially in terms of the number of students and high school graduates that increased gradually each year. This situation forced the KU administration to spend more funds in a desperate bid to contain the problem. Unfortunately, this has been ongoing for years in favor of a religious perspective. It ascribed the reasons behind social delinquency to individual morality! As per this point of view, gender-based separation among students is the best way to eliminate immoral behavior in society. It neglects, however, the fact that Kuwaiti men and women go to work together, head to NGOs together, shop together and walk in streets together.

I really wish a study could be conducted comparing between moralities and behavior in the KU and the local police station, after a ban was placed on co-education. Has the ban been effective in helping students focus on classes - when they supposedly do not suffer from psychological pressures brought about by sharing classrooms with classmates from the opposite sex? Has a ban been successful in increasing average success rates among students?

The co-education ban was placed without conducting any studies, based on scientific or religious basis. Today, the state’s only university suffers from the repercussions of this shallow decision. After years of wasted funds and lack of confidence in our young men and women (or their families for that matter), it is time to handle this subject from a logical standpoint.

So many female students had to wait for at least one semester before they could graduate.

This is only because the number of female students required to open a class for a certain subject.

I do not mind placing a ban on co-education if it is enforced for logical reasons. Show us proof that the ban has been successful in boosting values in campus. I will be the first to voice my support for it. —Al-Qabas

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Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

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kuwait digest

The online popularity contest

By Fahad Al-Handal or decades, press and media firms have engaged in a war of sorts. In this era, social networking websites have unprecedented prominence. It shaped public opinion by participating in the process of reporting news, reacting to them, as well as engaging in online dialogues, in addition to endorsing certain personalities or perspectives.

In my experience of using social networks, I learnt that these websites have turned into a new platform where people use their

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personal accounts to promote ideas, cultures, as well as weight on local and international subjects. Based on how interesting these opinions are, users start garnering popularity in the form of a number of followers or people that have found a place in their friends’ lists. This popularity can serve future ambitions.

For that purpose, many people use their online accounts to post controversial opinions and begin conflicts with others, with hope of garnering popularity. The increas-

It’s time to publicize port project

An appeal to the interior minister any believe that the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Homoud is a major agent of reform. Yesterday, I received an appeal from a military personnel who is a university graduate.

Personnel are forced to sign a declaration stating that the officers course cannot be completed until after a period of three years. According to them, a ministerial decree spells out this condition. The cadets studied and earned a university degree.

They deserve to enroll into an officer’s course as per the Ministry of Interior’s regulations. To deprive them of this right for three years defies all logic. I request the interior minister to suspend the decision that violates the law. —Al-Anba

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kuwait digest

By Muthaffar Abdullah he Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project should be marketed locally and internationally by providing information about costs involved, highlighting the project’s capabilities and expected financial returns to the economies of both Kuwait and Iraq.

These can also support Kuwaiti diplomatic efforts undertaken by the joint committees of both the countries.

The significance of this plan stems from the fact that the port project is not of any less significance than any other topics between Kuwait and Iraq.

Moreover, the objections raised against the KD 800 million project by many politicians in Iraq who are not well-informed about its details, making it necessary to arrive at a common consensus by

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experts from both countries to remove all ambiguities.

The same joint committee can handle this subject calmly. Unlike the undercurrents of tension that statements of Iraqi parliamentarians reflect, the joint committee has actually discussed the project before, when no objections were raised by the Iraqis.

Meanwhile, there has been confusion in the official Iraqi stance, with the ministry of transportation fearing its potential negative effect on a similar facility that Iraq plans to build along the Arabian Gulf shoreline. The country’s foreign ministry on the other hand does not feel that a problem exists with its construction.

What made the Iraqi stance worse are statements issued by members of the Iraqi parliament.

They broached other subjects

The poisonous anti-nationalist campaign

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij uwait’s nationalist political movement is subjected to an ongoing prejudiced campaign nowadays. I wouldn’t have called it ‘prejudiced’ if people didn’t connect it with the resignation of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah. These people believe that the resignation came as part of a deal that gave nationalist politicians control to pass their demands. The individuals who believe this falsehood generalize all the way to questioning the integrity of the state’s democratic work since the early years of the twentieth century.

There has been some positively intended criticism of the nationalist movement; this is minimal, however, in comparison to the scurrilous accusations that aim only to damage the country’s nationalist principles in favor of the truest form of corruption in the country: the dominance of tribalism.

Not only has this campaign targeted members of the National Action Bloc in parliament who by the way have differing perspectives and ambitions, but it has generalized to attack any Kuwaiti who adopts a nationalist stance towards his country.

It’s a campaign against anything that is civil or which separates itself from tribalism and sectarianism. It’s against any Kuwaiti citizen who prioritizes the welfare of fellow citizens as the most important goal. It’s a campaign against civilization and nationalism, which promotes fanaticism for Bedouin traditions. —Al-Qabas

ing popularity of this approach gradually renders the concept of freedom of speech insignificant.

My point is, social networking websites are great ways to bring people together by involving themselves in respectable exchange of views.

On the flipside, they can be used as a tool to cause social disintegration and deviate people’s attention away from major issue.

The number of followers on Twitter is not an accurate reflection of decency. —Al-Rai

kuwait digest

kuwait digest

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

think the understanding of what a holiday means needs to be urgently addressed at this time of the year, when many Arab families are packing their suitcases and heading abroad. It is also the time of year during which many expatriate residents and citizens leave, either to see their families abroad or to visit new places. Yet, at the end of the summer they fail to feel happy or admit that their holiday wasn’t that great. This really needs a deeper analysis.

Before we leap into examining this subject, we need to shed light on the weak points or some of the areas which many families don’t take into consideration in the process of planning a vacation.

Who, where, why and how much? These are the four main elements that any family needs to decide on before they rush to a travel agency to book a holiday. The easy part ends here with the decision as to who is going. If this is a trip for two family members then how old are they? If you have infants and young kids then you probably need to go somewhere that they can enjoy space and outdoor activities, such as a beach area or a resort with a kids’ pool and the possibility of arcade games or outdoors trips in the woods.

Kids today are shut up in enclosed spaces and shut in at school and at home nearly all year round. It would be great for a family to plan their holidays to provide a change to this unhealthy routine, to take kids to a new, more enjoyable and healthier environment. Kids love change and such trips are an adventure for them. I have seen many families with children, however, travelling to destinations where the mother can do more shopping and the only activity for the kids is to sit in the hotel watching TV or wander round malls doing nothing and having nothing to eat. At the end of the day, they are tired, hungry and bored, unable to do anything exciting that’s tailored to their age group!

So, a good plan that takes the needs of all the family members into account is a priority, especially when the kids are coming along. This means that parents need to make a small sacrifice and be less selfish, i.e. to act as adults, helping to make the trip enjoyable for their children too.

Credit cards are another contentious issue here. Many people feel that they’re easy to use when travelling. The consequences of misusing them and exceeding one’s financial limitations can bring a lot of trouble later on, so be careful when using the ‘magic cards,’ and remember they’re not free; this is your money you’re using, even if it doesn’t look the same — failing to remember this can result in major problems after your trip.

There are numerous problems. I can’t understand, for instance, why many Arab families carry large amounts of luggage as if they’re emigrating rather than going on holiday for a few weeks. The funny thing here is that they then travel to a destination where they go shopping and end up with even more bags and cases! Do they really need to bring along all these clothes with them or what?

For example, what is the point of taking a hairdryer when you’re going to stay in a five-star hotel?!

I’ve seen this happening and could never figure out the reasoning behind it.

What all families need is two sets of plans; the first for before they leave the country and the other for after their arrival at their destination, not only for the adult holidaymakers, but also for everyone accompanying them, including the servants.

Also, if the maid is coming along on vacation, why isn’t she given the right to decide where she wants to go and what to do and see there? Why isn’t she given time off on her own to explore the destination instead of being expected to be stuck with the family the whole time?

Finally, one odd thing that I’ve seen frequently is the elaborate ritual of emotional farewells and welcome homes, in which ten or more family members and friends will turn out at the airport even just to see one single man travelling on holiday off on his flight or to welcome his return. All the family and friends come along to bid the traveler farewell and, of course, to kiss and hug him as if he were leaving not for a couple of weeks holiday but for the front line in a war without any means of maintaining contact with him while he’s away!

I have great difficulty in understanding such behavior and why so many people feel the need to turn up to see even just one holidaymaker off on their vacation, and why they can’t spare the airport staff the overcrowding and problems produced by their apparent need to see this one person off on holiday. How important is going on vacation that all these people need to come to the airport simultaneously, causing unnecessary chaos for everyone else, just to show their love, indeed passion, for their vacationing friend or relative?

We need to become more aware and many families need to learn how to travel — not to change locations, but to change the rhythm and to amend their hectic thought patterns and money-wasting behavior.

Muna Al-Fuzai is currently on holiday. This column was published last year.

such as the compensations for the 1990/91 invasion and border demarcation; matters that were already resolved through the United Nations’ intervention.

As a citizen, I hope to see the Information Ministr y adopt a media campaign to make the public aware about the details of the project, as well as send diplomatic missions to introduce those details to the international scene, explaining massive economic benefits it can bring in to most countries of the region.

Meanwhile, I also hope that the Kuwait University can host a seminar featuring political and economic exper ts as well as members from the Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Public Works. This initiative can remove the doubts that people may have on the project. —Al-Jarida

kuwait digest

How PAAET can save KU

K

By Dr Wael Al-Hasawi nexpectedly and without prior planning, the dream about instituting a new public university will be realized within six months. The last state-funded educational institution - Kuwait University was established in 1966. It will operate the new university, highlights news reports.

Normally, I will not object to the establishment of a new university in the country, as long as it is thoroughly planned. The speculated plan about using KU facilities and resources to open a second university with a separate administration and budget, is nothing but fooling people and lawmakers into believing that the government has found a solution to the problem of overcapacity.

Personally, I do not understand how this project can be implemented when the KU

U

extends until 8:00 pm. Professors are already working overtime to cope with increasing demands.

In my opinion, there are ways to overcome the current dilemma until a real new university is built.

First, minimum high school graduation cut off criteria for admission should be raised. I know that this option is not welcomed by many, but it has become necessary, given the abrupt hike in high school success rates.

Second, allowing the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training(PAAET ) to award degrees. The PAAET has all the capabilities to provide top education undergraduate courses. The previous higher education ministers have refused to consider this stipulation. The Technological Studies Faculty, for example, employs nearly 500 teaching staff

with PhD and MA degrees obtained from American, British and Australian universities. It is equipped with many laboratories that are not of inferior quality when compared with those installed at the Faculty of Engineering.

A proposal to implement a BA degree program in addition to the diploma program at the faculty was made in 1986, but has since been ignored.

Another option that can help solve the current problem is to increase the responsibilities of KU professors - as a temporary measure to provide more classes.

Finally, the ministry can raise the numbers of scholarships provided to universities both present in and outside the countr y. This move will help private universities in Kuwait improve the quality of education to match with those provided in public educational establishments. —Al-Rai

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

LOCAL

What can Kuwait do

By Jamie Etheridge

I

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah received HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at Seif Palace yesterday.

Risks threaten power distribution grids KUWAIT: Several risks threaten power distribution grid in Kuwait City, posed by the ‘vertical expansion’ policy that exceeds the Ministry of Electricity and Water’s (MEW) capabilities.

According to senior ministry officials, a study prepared by an international consultancy firm that was previously hired for this purpose, warned against the risks caused by construction-related expansion without adequately strengthening infrastructure.

Measures should be taken to increase the capacity of distribution cables as well as secondary transformers which supply power to the area.

Meanwhile, a top ministry official said

that nearly 4.5 million imperial gallons can be saved everyday through the recently inaugurated prepaid charging system. It operates five water plants through which tankers obtain supplies.

Jassem Al-Linqawi Assistant Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs asserted that the stations are supplied a total of KD 36 million gallons a day, each saving 190,000 gallons through the prepaid system, reported Al-Rai. On another note, the ministry plans to install some backup generators that will be installed near crowded places and shopping malls during Ramadan. This is in order to secure electricity supply in case of a potential power outage.

MP questions minister over MCI fees collection

By A. Saleh KUWAIT: MP Ali Al-Deqbasi announced yesterday that he has submitted a number of questions to Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr Amani Bourseli on a variety of issues. The MP said that his questions to the minister were as follows: 1. What fees are collected when renewing the licenses of used cars sales outlets, and what are the statistics on the collection of these fees during the past five years?

2. Has the Ministry of Commerce and Industry collected the due fees from companies in the free zone area? If yes, please supply me with the statistics on this income, how these monies are collected and where the collected monies are put. If the answer is no, please explain the reasons for not collecting the

f you are like me, you worry about money. Even if you earn a good salary and have some cash nest egged away, the never ending need to spend the mortgage, groceries, summer holidays, school tuition, braces, a new washing machine, clothes for Eid, birthday gifts, those cute pair of electric blue earrings, etc - can at times be a bit daunting.

Listening to the financial news these days only adds to the ‘accountant’s angst.’ From Athens to Washington to Tokyo, things aren’t looking too good. Kuwait, despite its vast oil wealth and twelve consecutive years of budget surpluses, seems to be doing worse than even politically-troubled neighbor Bahrain.

The reality is there is no one answer and no quick fix. The global economy is now intimately interconnected and the US debt ceiling talks can and will impact bourse prices in Dubai.

The sovereign debt and euro problems in Greece, I taly, Portugal et al aren’t of concern only to a stumbling European Union but a crisis that could ripple out across the globe, engulfing what little recovery momentum other economies have managed to marshal since the 2008 financial crisis.

Yet for Kuwait, at least, there are real and easily accessible tools that could quickly buffer our tiny state from the worst of another crisis. A rapid and real

increase in government spend- ing to Dubai and not Kuwait? I’ll ing in development projects - tell you why. Because Dubai built construction and development, an international destination with as opposed to popular grants a diverse economy and a multiand free food - could lift Kuwait cultural society, while Kuwait out of the financial doldrums, built the Avenues.

Don’t get me wrong. The bolster the private sector and lay the foundations for longer term Avenues is a great example of growth for the former pearl of how the public and private sector can work together to build a the region.

Criticism has been heaped on successful venture. But more Dubai and Qatar - and now Abu needs to be done and in more Dhabi too - for what some deem fundamental projects like housextravagant government spend- ing, roads, schools, hospitals and ing on a raft of show projects; other infrastructure. Yes, the govfrom mega malls and museums ernment has a plan but so far ... it has been one step forward and to tall towers and floating cities.

Yes, it is true Dubai’s construc- two steps behind.

Many point to the Parliament tion boom went bust and Abu Dhabi and Qatar have had to as the chief culprit responsible for Kuwait scale back a ‘But look at Qatar or Abu falling behind bit and Dhabi compared to Kuwait. its GCC neighbecome But more cau- Drive the roads, check out the bors. what ’s going tious about investments skylines, stroll the corniches, on isn’t a onewalk the malls - even worst sided tug of and infrastructure. hit Dubai seems to be emerg- war, it takes But look ing faster from the 2008 crisis two sides to engage in a at Qatar or and with more going for it power strugAbu Dhabi c o m p a r e d than Kuwait. Yes its benefit- gle.

R e ce n t l y, to Kuwait. ting from those fleeing the even the Drive along turmoil of the Arab spring.’ Central Bank the roads, check out the skylines, stroll the governor has warned that quick corniches, walk the malls - even action is needed to correct the worst hit Dubai seems to be “imbalances” in the Kuwait econemerging faster from the 2008 omy. Sheikh Salem Abdul Aziz crisis and with more going for it Al-Sabah specifically advised than Kuwait. Yes, its benefitting that the government step up from those fleeing the turmoil of spending “quickly” and give the the Arab Spring. But ask yourself private sector a chance to grow.

The government has this: why are those fleeing the turmoil in Egypt and Syria head- increased expenditures and the

2011-2012 budget of KD 19.4 billion is one of its largest ever. But time is running out. Oil prices are high now but they are incredibly hard to predict.

They tend to slip and slide, rise and fall on a number of factors. World demand will only remain strong so long as economies across the globe continue to grow. What happens if the US and Europe slide into recession and even the emerging markets of the East fail to hit growth prediction rates in the coming years?

Relying too much on oil could be a dangerous strategy for Kuwait down the road and that’s why it needs to build up the private sector now, while it has the resources and the opportunity to do so. Kuwait has seen positive consumer spending - especially with the Amiri grant and now the travel season well under way.

But the complementary spending needed at the government level on major construction projects hasn’t happened, and government infighting between the Parliament and the Cabinet as well as an alleged power struggle within the ruling family itself, few investors are confident that spending will pick up in the short term.

Here’s the idea: The government can step up the implementation of its KD 30 billion fiveyear development plan. Bolster construction and real estate, shore up confidence in the private sector and lay the foundations for Kuwait’s future.

monies owed and why no legal action has been taken against those responsible.

3. What is the mechanism used by the ‘minutes committee’ to file commercial violations charges, who are the committee members and what is each member’s job description? Also, which companies’ minutes have been recorded in the past two years? Meanwhile, in other news, a political insider suggested yesterday that a number of individuals connected to the calcified coal project are currently preparing to file legal cases against unnamed parties who they accuse of improperly benefiting from the project.

The insider said that the success of the court case brought by MP Rola Dashti against fellow parliamentarian Saadoun Al-Otaibi in connection with the project had motivated these individuals to bring similar cases.

Municipality confiscates 4 tons of expired foodstuffs from Salmiya stores

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Mohammad Al-Noumas with Iranian Ambassador Rouhollah Qahremani yesterday.

Kuwait keen to enhance ties with Iran: Minister KUWAIT: Kuwait is keen to enhance bilateral relations and exchange expertise with Tehran, said Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Mohammad Al-Noumas yesterday.

Al-Noumas, who is also the Minister of State for Housing Affairs, was speaking after hosting a formal reception for the Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait, Rouhollah Qahremani. During the meeting, said AlNoumas, the two discussed various areas of

Islamic cooperation and the development of ties between the two nations. Ambassador Qahremani praised the Kuwaiti Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs’ (MAIA) moderate approach to issues, saying that this helps to unify the different stances and bring the various schools of thought closer together to best serve the Muslim Umma. The reception was also attended by Acting MAIA Undersecretary Dr. Motlaq Al-Qairawi. —KUNA

KUWAIT: A series of unannounced late-night inspections of grocery stores in Salmiya by officials from Hawally Municipality and Ministry of Commerce and Industr y (MCI) resulted in the seizure of four tons of expired foodstuffs and toiletries.

Many of the items seized, which included milk, cream, soap, hair oil and hair wax, had been labeled falsely, with the real production and expiry dates concealed by labels with later dates on them.

Equipment and labels carrying new production and expiry dates were found at a number of the stores raided, with the raids taking place between 9:00 and 12:00 PM in order to catch the shopkeepers and staff unawares.

Riyadh Al-Rabee, the head of the inspection team, said that a total of 1.3 tons of expired milk

Kuwait didn’t inform Iraq of port plan, insists Iraqi MP

By A. Saleh KUWAIT: An Iraqi MP yesterday dismissed earlier statements that the Iraqi government or foreign ministry had been informed five years ago of Kuwait’s intention to build the major Mubarak AlKabeer Port project, saying that any such claim was totally untrue.

Mohsen Al-Saadoun, a member of the Kurdistan Coalition, said that the aim of such statements was to sow confusion in the political sphere, insisting that the Iraqi government had refused to countenance the construction of the planned port in its current location since this would negatively

affect the Iraqi economy and marine navigation in Iraqi waters.

Al-Saadoun said that international laws govern relations between neighboring countries, with all nations bound to comply with them, adding that Kuwait should respect its friendly relations with Iraq. He also claimed that the only reason that Iraq is still suffering under Chapter VII restrictions is because of its negative relationship with Kuwait.

On a separate issue, meanwhile, the chairman of the parliamentary education committee said yesterday that education minister Ahmad Al-Mulaifi has vowed to quick ly resolve the

problem facing 2,000 young Kuwaiti high school graduates who are currently unable to enroll at Kuwait University for the upcoming academic term due to the university’s restrictions on student numbers. Committee head Jamaan Al-Harbish said that Al-Mulaifi suggested that the way to resolve the problem would be to again increase student capacity at the university, where faculty members have already complained of student overcapacity, to 9,000, whilst providing an additional 1,000 scholarships at private universities in Kuwait and overseas for the remaining wouldbe students.

had been confiscated from the stores raided, with four citations issued to different shop owners.

The violations which the stores were penalized for included repackaging foodstuffs without the appropriate licenses and selling foodstuffs whose origins are unknown, with the latter items to be subjected to tests at the municipality laboratories to assess their provenance and fitness for sale.

Al-Rabee warned that stores found to be perpetrating serious violations would immediately be shut down once the municipality has followed the necessary legal procedures. He also revealed that inspectors will be checking shops across the country during Ramadan, with a clampdown planned on all stores, especially those selling foodstuffs, in order to ensure that they are complying with the relevant laws and regulations.

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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

LOCAL

Teenager killed in accident on Kabd Road Car hits camel KUWAIT: One teenager was killed and two men were seriously injured when the car they were in hit a camel on Kabad Road on Saturday night, with the camel also dying. Police received a report of a serious accident at 8:47 PM, with emergency services personnel arriving at the crash site a few minutes later. The 14-year-old Iranian boy was pronounced dead at the scene, whilst the two injured victims, aged 37 and 34, were rushed to Farwaniya Hospital. The boy’s body was removed for autopsy. The authorities removed the car which was written off in the accident, as well as the camel’s body.

KUWAIT: The National Guards’ moral guidance directorate organized a religious lecture over the weekend at the Al-Sumood Camp Mosque on the societal significance of Zakat. The lecture was delivered by the director of the Zakat House’s Sharia Affairs Office, Shaikh Ali Al-Kulaib.

Mishref plant to reopen early September KUWAIT: The Mishref sewage plant will be fully operational a few days before the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, a news report quoting Ministry of Public Works (MPW) officials stated.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, they explained that as per previous plans the plant was to reopen at least two months ago. However, the decision was delayed after receiving recommendations from a ministry-appointed international consultancy firm. The time period following the delay allowed the ministry to conduct more tests to eliminate risk factors before it could be set in motion.

The Mishref plant went out of service in August 2009 because of a major mal-

function that damaged most of the machines installed. A serious environmental crisis was created as a result. The ministry had to re-direct sewage to routes that directly dumped waste materials into the Arabian Gulf. According to some sources, reconstruction work costs at least KD 28 million, reported Al-Jarida.

In separate news, the MPW announced that it has completed 20 percent of construction works at the main crossroads projects at a total cost of KD 21 million, reported Al-Rai. The project’s engineer, Ali Sulaiman said that periodic reports are referred to the Environment Public Authority (EPA) to ensure that the project fulfils all the conditions.

Fake viagra a flop A vendor at the Friday Market disappeared after a senior citizen reported his activity in selling fake Viagra tablets. The irate purchaser, a 60-year-old Kuwaiti man, said that he had bought the tablets from an Asian vendor at the market, who appeared to be doing excellent business in selling the tablets, which are believed to enhance older men’s sexual per formance. The customer subsequently discovered that the tablets were fakes, calling police to report the conman, who had escaped before police arrived, leaving the worthless counterfeit tablets behind.

Brother wrecks date A young Kuwaiti man flew into a temper on seeing his sister kissing her boyfriend and had to be restrained by friends from physically assaulting her. The temperamental youth was apparently on an evening out with friends at a Salmiya beach when he spotted his sister and her boyfriend having a romantic moment there. He immediately flew into a hysterical tantrum, brutally assaulting his sister’s

boyfriend before grabbing his sister and shoving her face towards the sand, possibly in an effor t to suffocate her. His friends quickly intervened, but were struggling to control him before police arrived and restrained him. The young woman’s boyfriend quickly fled the scene, whilst her brother was taken away by ambulance after growing even more hysterical.

The siblings’ father arrived shortly afterwards to take her home.

Khaitan mugging Police are hunting for two men who mugged a pedestrian in Farwaniya. The victim told officers at Khaitan police station that two men had attacked him and stolen KD150 from him before escaping. He provided detailed descriptions of the two muggers, which are being used by detectives working on the case.

Drunken dive A man was hospitalized after falling from a height whilst under the influence of alcohol.

Paramedics and police headed to a location where an Asian man had reportedly fallen from the

third floor of an apar tments’ building. He was rushed to Farwaniya Hospital with several broken bones, while his friends told police that he was inebriated when he suddenly leapt from the balcony.

Illegal call centre Police apprehended three men at a Salmiya apar tment where they were illegally offering discounted international calls. A police team headed to the location with a warrant after detectives gained enough evidence to prove that illegal activities were being committed there. They raided the apartment and arrested three Bangladeshi men there, who later admitted to their crime. Several devices used to make the illegal calls were confiscated from the flat.

Missing woman found An Asian man was taken in custody for questioning after he was arrested in the company of an Arab woman who had been reported missing by her family.

Officers at a checkpoint in AlFarwaniya grew suspicious of an approaching vehicle that carried

a muscular Asian man and an Arab woman. The two were taken in custody after police learned about the missing person report lodged against the woman, who explained that she fled her family home due to her father’s mistreatment. Meanwhile, the male suspect who could face charges of sheltering a fugitive, claimed that he only offered help to take the woman from her workplace back to her apartment in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh.

Burglars dump safe A police investigation is underway to discover how a safe containing six Kuwaiti passports ended up lying on a walkway in Naseem, where it was found by passersby. After receiving reports of the discovery, police were quickly at the scene. On opening the safe, they found six valid Kuwaiti passports but no money or other valuables. The safe was taken away to be dusted for fingerprints to obtain possible clues to the thieves’ identities, with detectives believing that it was abandoned following a burglary.

—Al-Watan, Al-Anba, Al-Rai

No local shrimp in Ramadan KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) has scrapped plans to lift the ban on shrimp-fishing in Kuwaiti waters in order to protect the country’s shrimp stocks from overfishing, according to a ministry insider.

The authority had been studying a proposal to allow fishermen to resume shrimp-fishing from August 1 instead of continuing the ban until September 1 as planned in order to ensure sufficient supplies of the popular delicacy in time for

Ramadan. According to one insider, however, after examining all the evidence a meeting of senior PAAAFR officials concluded by deciding that bringing the end of the ban period forward could harm shrimp reproduction levels in the long term, leading to further shortages in Kuwait, which has already been adversely affected by overfishing in its waters. The decision was based on expert evidence from a number of sources, including the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, the insider said. —Al-Rai

NA panel completing single constituency report KUWAIT: The parliamentary interior and defense committee is utilizing the summer holiday to complete its report on the proposal to change the current electoral system in Kuwait to a single constituency system.

Committee member MP Saadoun Hamad said that both the interior and defense committee and the legislative committee have agreed on the advisability of the proposed change, which he said would give voters the option of four candidates.

Under the new method, the first-

past-the-post system would mean that the 50 candidates to receive the highest number of votes would attain parliamentar y seats, Hamad explained.

The MP said that the single constituency system would do away with several of the negative aspects of the current five-constituency system which he asserted has damaged the country’s democratic fabric in recent years by encouraging bribes and voters transferring their votes between one constituency and another. —Al-Anba

KUWAIT: Industrial waste along Ushairej beach.

‘Protect Ushairej Beach’ KUWAIT: The Kuwait Diving Team has urged for ‘immediate intervention’ from local authorities to ban detrimental practices like disposing industrial waste along Ushairej beach.

“These violations pose a serious threat to marine biodiversity, maritime activity along the Kuwait Bay, in addition to the environment,” said the team’s Marine Operations Supervisor Waleed Al-Shatti.

The Kuwait Diving Team of the Environmental Voluntary Foundation worked in coordination with the Cabinet’s Violations Removal Committee as well as other state departments to clean and rehabilitate the Ushairej beach. The remains of 42 ship wrecks as well as tons of disposed fishing nets were removed.

“Authorities should monitor the location

MP threatens to divulge evidence on football bribery KUWAIT: MP Marzouq Al-Ghanim has vehemently denied accusations of engaging in controversial financial dealings with Mohammad bin Hammam, President of Asian Football Confederation (AFC). He added that legal action has been taken against the Germany-based newspaper that published the reports.

In tweets posted on Twitter, Al-Ghanim explained that he does not hold an account with the so-called bank through which the alleged transaction was made. He added that he would soon reveal evidence that establishes a link between the reporter who wrote the article and individuals in Kuwait, reported Al-Qabas. In another development, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Ali Al-Rashid commented on unconfirmed reports that the government would revoke the ban on coeducation at the Kuwait University as being “suspicious.” “How can a deal be brokered when a draft law to cancel the co-education ban was never submitted in the Parliament?” he questioned.

MP Saleh Al-Mulla from the National Action Bloc (NAB) and MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabae from the Development and Reform Bloc were involved in a war of words on the social micro blogging site Twitter. It was sparked by the latter leveling accusations against the former’s political bloc. He had tweeted that the it was involved in the aforementioned scam, reported Al-Rai. “I’ve never appreciated it when Al-Tabtabae questions the true intention behind the [NAB’s] decisions to grill [former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Housing and Development] Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad,” Al-Mulla tweeted, “but I find it more upsetting that he accuses the NAB of forging a deal with the Prime Minister to suspend the ban on co-education.” Al-Tabtabae responded by clarifying that he never suspected the said interpellation motion, but was only referring to the controversy generated on co-education.

periodically to detect violators and hold them accountable,” Al-Shatti said. He also suggested that docking locations have been separately allocated along the beach to organize ship maintenance operations.

According to Al-Shatti, the team is now preparing to begin a new beach cleaning campaign to remove waste estimated at 200 tons.

Kuwait to reassess bedoons’ security files soon: CSRSIR head KUWAIT: The head of the government body established to resolve the problems facing Kuwait’s bedoon (stateless) population revealed on Saturday that a committee set up to evaluate the security files of all bedoon people will begin its work in the next few days.

In a press release issued to announce the move, Saleh Al-Fadhala, the Executive Director of the Central System for Remedying the Status of Illegal Residents (CSRSIR), said that the committee in question “was established out of our eagerness to achieve the public interest and uphold state security.”

Burgan Bank begins Ramadan preparations at Grand Mosque KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Burgan Bank yesterday announced that it is gearing up its preparations to welcome worshippers to the Grand Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

The bank has created special Ramadan materials, including themed Imsakiyas (calendars listing Ramadan prayer times) to remind people of prayer timings, along with specially designed bookmarks to help readers of the Holy Quran track and plan their daily readings.

In a press release issued to announce

the initiative, the bank explained that it forms part of the bank’s festivities marking the holy month, which also includes an exciting range of programs and initiatives that reflect the true Ramadan spirit, as well as the bank’s social solidarity and interaction with Kuwaiti society.

Such community interaction further demonstrates the bank’s leadership and dedication to social wellbeing, the statement added, as well as its innovative approach towards communicating its CSR initiatives.

In its examination and evaluation of the bedoon people’s claims, the committee will rely on “clear-cut proof and evidence for the sake of justice and fairness,” he said, adding, “Kuwait’s security and safety is a red line that can never be compromised.”

Al-Fadhala vowed to exercise a zero tolerance policy towards those who offended Kuwait during the brutal Iraqi invasion and occupation of 1990-91, voicing hope that the committee would complete all its work before the end of 2011 “in order to close this file once and for all.” —KUNA

‘No environmental issues in west Sulaibikhat’ KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has compiled a detailed report on the environmental situation of west Sulaibikhat. According to officials , the report focuses on the ongoing process of soil rehabilitation amid concerns of its unsuitability to host housing-related infrastructure.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, officials said that all environmental aspects of the project have been studied, which proves that the plot is suitable to build 1,736 housing units.

They explained that nearly 1,030 houses will be built in the area, granted by the government to citizens. In addition to this 310 apartment buildings, ten public schools, seven mosques, four malls, a polyclinic and a police station will also be constructed, reported AlQabas.

The PAHW is heavily reliant on the west Sulaibikhat project to put an end to the housing shortage problem, with the hope that the new house will significantly reduce the waiting period.

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

UN to hold Horn of Africa emergency talks in Rome

War over but massacres continue in Ivory Coast Page 10

Page 10

Tears, wreaths, flags as Oslo mourns

OSLO: People crowd yesterday around a flower tribute to the victims of a bomb explosion which ripped through government buildings and the shooting spree at the youth camp of the Norwegian Labor Party. — AFP

Police warn death toll could rise OSLO: Every hour they came in their hundreds, some of them in tears, to leave flowers, Norwegian flags or to light candles in memory of the dead. In the heart of Oslo, the tributes piled up in front of the city’s cathedral Saturday. Groups of friends, couples, whole families-they all came to pay their respects.

Nearby the soldiers stood watch: an unusual site in the Norwegian capital. But the nearby government sector, where Friday’s bomb went off, was still sealed off as investigators continued their work. Tone Bjorkli, accompanied by her friend Mirja, added a small wreath of white flowers to the growing collection.

“It’s quite scary to see all that on the telly,” said the 31-yearold artist.”But on the other hand, its comforting to come here and see everybody so moved.” But then as they pointed out, it was not as if they could think of anything else but Friday’s bombing that killed seven people in the government district; and the killing spree that followed on Utoeya island, not far from the capital. Police said at least 85 people attending a summer camp run by the youth wing of the ruling Labor Party lost their lives there. And they have warned that the death toll could rise. “It’s the only thing that people are talking about,” said Tone. “We need to get it all out.” Among those paying their tribute to the dead here were members of the royal family, who came to light candles. Earlier Saturday, along with the Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and members of the government, they spoke to survivors of the island massacre.

Beside Tone and Mirja in the crowd, stood Farid Omar, a 23year-old Burundian who has lived in Norway for seven years.

He had come, he said, to show “that it’s not just the Norwegian people who are affected. I too, as an immigrant, I can say that it’s shameful what has happened”. It had brought back memories of the violence in Burundi, he added. But he would have never expected something like this to happen in Norway. As a Muslim Farid confessed to being relieved that the main suspect in the killings was a Norwegian, “because if not it would have destroyed the multiculturalism that exists here. “Look, there are foreigners everywhere, there are 24,000 Somalis in

central Oslo alone,” he added. Nor was Farid the only immigrant among the thousands filing through the cathedral.

“There are even veiled Muslims who have come here to the cathedral,” Pastor Anne Anita Lilleboe, the university chaplain, said. She had volunteered to help organize the day’s mourning.

Inside the cathedral, couples leaned against each other as dozens of people filed past the chapel, lit up by hundreds of candles. The pastor estimated that some 400 people were paying their respects here every hour. The cathedral, along with the Sundvolden Hotel outside the capital where survivors of the shooting were being sheltered and counseled, has become a focus of the wave of grief and compassion that has swept so many people here. And all across the city, the flags were at half-mast. Outside in the courtyard, 64-year-old Einar Andresen, on the verge of tears, hugged his friend Nicolas. “It’s the worst crime that I have ever know in Norway,” he said, his voice tight with emotion.

“I needed to go to the church with a lot of people. I’m not anyone important, but’s important that we are all together,” he said. “These children...,” said Nicolas, thinking of the victims of the shooting. “I have no sympathy with the Labor Party-but good grief, if I don’t like someone I’m not going to take a gun and kill him.” Barely 50 meters (yards) away, small groups of people were gathered on the edge of the cordoned-off area where the car bomb wrought havoc in the government quarter. Soldiers in full battle gear and carrying automatic weapons stood guard as the locals and tourists gazed at the devastated facades of the buildings, windows shattered by the force of the blast. Several nearby shops were not open for business: “Closed because of the situation,” said one sheet of paper. Linn Elese Amundsen, a 24-year-old student and her photographer friend Nichlas Andersen had thought of their own gesture.

Both wore “I love Oslo” t-shirts, the word “love” represented by a heart. “When I woke up, I thought that this was the day to put it on,” said Linn. “I still can’t believe it, this is little Norway here, nothing usually happens to us.”But she added: “Today, I think all this brings people together, it brings people closer.” — AFP

China sacks 3 senior officials after crash WENZHOU: China sacked three senior railway officials yesterday after a deadly collision between two high-speed trains in the east of the country killed at least 34 and seriously injured 12, in the country’s deadliest train disaster since 2008. The crash happened late on Saturday after one train lost power due to a lightning strike, and the bullet train behind crashed into it, state media said, raising new questions about the safety of the fast-growing rail network.

Authorities moved quickly to try and assuage public anger by sacking the head of the Shanghai railway bureau, his deputy and the bureau’s Communist Party chief, the Railways Ministry said in a statement on its website (www.chinamor.gov.cn). The three will “also be subject to investigation,” the brief statement added, without elaborating. The Shanghai bureau is responsible for the province in which the accident happened.

The disaster killed at least 34 people, while almost 200 people remain in hospital, 12 of whom are in critical condition, state television said. Two foreigners also died in the accident, which took place on a bridge near the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang province, some 860 miles (1,380 km) south of Beijing, state news agency Xinhua said yesterday. China News Service, a semi-official news agency, said one of them was a woman in her 20s. Dozens of rescue workers and firefighters used excavators to move the wreckage of the two trains as they believed more bodies were in one of the carriages that was dangling beside the bridge. It was unclear how many people were on the trains at the time of the accident.

In a small piece of good news, state television said rescuers had pulled a 4year-old boy and another male toddler alive from the wreckage. “The task for us now is to clear the debris and also to

check for survivors in those areas that we have not gone to,” said 35-year-old rescue worker Wang Jun. “Also, we are trying to get the railway line to be operational again.” Rail remains the most popular method of long-distance transport in China and trains are usually extremely crowded, with long-distance trains carrying as many as 1,000 passengers.

The reliability of China’s railways has been called into question recently after the flagship Beijing-Shanghai highspeed rail line suffered a series of power outages since it opened to great fanfare a month ago. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang arrived on the scene to help with the relief work and investigation, state television reported. China’s rail network has also been hit by a series of scandals. Three railway officials have been investigated for corruption this year, according to local media reports. — Reuters

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Murderous Qaeda cell in Baghdad smashed: police BAGHDAD: Iraqi security forces have smashed an Al-Qaeda network in Iraq allegedly responsible for hundreds of killings in Baghdad, a senior police official told AFP yesterday. “Interior Ministry forces dismantled (an) AlQaeda network that was responsible for more than 100 murders of policemen, soldiers, judges, officials and jewelers in Baghdad,” the official said, asking not to be named because he is not

authorized to speak to the media. The cell was also behind the May 26 assassination of Ali al-Lami, head of the controversial Justice and Accountability Commission which investigates issues relating to the former regime of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, he added.

The group was responsible for a failed May 8 prison escape at an Interior Ministry detention centre in

Baghdad, which resulted in the deaths of 11 Al-Qaeda militants and six police, the official said. That mutiny was triggered by Huthaifa al-Batawi, suspected of masterminding an October 31 Al-Qaeda raid on a Baghdad church in which 44 worshippers, two priests and seven members of the security forces were killed. The official said that the demolished network consisted of 10 militants and was led by a senior Al-

Qaeda extremist who committed suicide last week when police tried to arrest him in the Baab al-Muadham district of central Baghdad. He added that the head of the cell, whom he did not name, was a former industry ministry official who had been imprisoned at the Camp Bucca detention facility in southern Iraq.

Several industry ministry employees had previously been shown to be

linked to another Al-Qaeda cell headed by Munaf Abdul Rahim al-Rawi, who was arrested by Iraqi security forces on March 11 last year. He too had been employed at the industry ministry. Rawi was allegedly behind two suicide bombings in December 2008 against police stations in the city of Fallujah west of Baghdad which killed 19 people, including 12 policemen.— AFP

Bloody clashes in Egypt despite democracy pledge Military warns against ‘harming national interests’

GAZA: A Palestinian boy rides a donkey cart loaded with boxes in the city of Gaza. —AP

Egypt protesters dejected, but still pushing for change CAIRO: Hundreds of protesters were still camped out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square yesterday following a night of bloody clashes with rival demonstrators loyal to the ruling military council, an AFP reporter said. Fierce battles erupted in the Abassaya neighborhood after antiregime protesters were blocked from reaching the headquarters of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). The health ministry said that 231 were injured when police fired tear gas and protesters were pelted with stones and rocks by rivals loyal to the army.

After the clashes, protesters headed back to join others camped out in Tahrir Square-the epicenter of protests that ousted president Hosni Mubarak in February.

The fighting in Abassaya came hours after SCAF accused groups in Tahrir, including the April 6 pro-democracy movement, of sowing instability. Looking tired and dispirited, protesters vowed nonetheless to continue pressing for change. “We will stay in the square,” where a sit-in is into its third week, said Mohammed Amr, 32, wearing an eye patch. Amr, a tour guide from the canal city of Suez, was injured in the overnight clashes and doctors say he may have lost his sight in one eye. Asmaa Ibrahim, 19, who was in Abassaya, said she was beaten during the clashes. “They beat everyone, even the girls. We won’t stop talk-

ing,” said Asmaa, on the verge of tears, wearing the same yellow dress as the day before. Under the blazing sun, a man played the oud, a traditional string instrument. He said he was trying to “cheer people up.”

On Saturday, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of SCAF and Mubarak’s long-time defence minister, pledged in a television address to work for a free system through fair elections and a constitution. But the military rulers accused the April 6 movement of “driving a wedge between the people and the army.” In a statement distributed to reporters, the youth group denied the military’s accusations. “We used to think that the revolution changed matters for the better, but we were filled with sadness after this statement was issued,” it said.

Despite Mubarak’s spectacular downfall, protesters have continued to take to the streets to denounce the military council over the slow pace of reform. The military has also come under fire for alleged rights abuses and for using Mubarak-era tactics to stifle dissent. Since July 8, protesters have camped out in Tahrir Square, vowing to continue until their demands are met. They are calling for the trial of former regime officials, an end to military trials of civilians, the purge of Mubarak officials from senior government posts and the redistribution of wealth. —Reuters

Three Turkish soldiers die in PKK rebel ambush DIYARBAKIR: Kurdish rebels shot dead three Turkish soldiers in an ambush late on Saturday night in a village in the south eastern province of Mardin, security sources said yesterday. The three soldiers had been returning from the village of Ikipinar to their military gendarme post when they were ambushed by militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), they said. The attack comes at a time of heightened clashes between Turkey’s armed forces and Kurdish rebels in Turkey’s southeast, and a parliamentary boycott by deputies of a pro-Kurdish party. Ten days ago Turkey’s chief of staff said grenades thrown by militants ignited a fire in a heavily forested area in Diyarbakir province killing 13 soldiers and wounding seven.

Seven militants also died in the fighting. The pro-Kurdish Firat news agency disputed the official version with a report that quoted a witness saying a Turkish warplane had targeted the militants in an air strike which also killed the soldiers positioned nearby.

The PKK ended its six-month old ceasefire in February and moved to what

it calls an “active defense” stance, whereby its fighters defend themselves if threatened. Regardless of the “active defense” stance there has been a steady stream of militant activity in recent weeks, including abductions. The jailed leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, sent word through his lawyers earlier this month that he had agreed with Turkish officials to set up a “peace council” aimed at ending the 27-year conflict in which 40,000 people have died, the majority of them Kurds. Ocalan said the council should be formed within one month, though it was unclear what form it would take. The proposal came a month after Erdogan’s AK Party won an election for a third term in power and two months after Ocalan threatened war unless the government entered talks. Deputies from a pro-Kurdish party regarded as close to the PKK failed to reach a deal with the AK Party on ending their boycott of parliament earlier this month. The boycott by the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies was prompted by court rulings barring some of its jailed elected candidates from taking their seats. — Reuters

CAIRO: Groups of men armed with knives and sticks attacked thousands of protesters trying to march to the headquarters of Egypt’s military rulers, setting off fierce street clashes and leaving more than 100 injured, most lightly. Security fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Saturday’s clashes come as tensions mount between the military council that took control of the country after a popular uprising ousted exPresident Hosni Mubarak and activists who want them to move faster in bringing former regime officials to justice and setting a date for the transition to civilian rule. The military has appeared impatient with the pressure, accusing activists of treason, warning protesters against “harming national interests” and calling on “honorable” Egyptians to confront actions that disrupt a return to normal life. An estimated 10,000 people set out from downtown Cairo’s Tahrir Square but were stopped from reaching the military headquarters in the eastern Abbasiyah neighborhood by a line of army barricades.

Along the way, they chanted slogans against the military council’s delay in implementing their demands. The march coincided with the 59th anniversary of the 1952 military coup that toppled the monarchy and brought a series of military leaders to office, ending with Mubarak.

“Down with the ruler of the military,” the protesters chanted. Bands of men armed with knives and sticks set upon them from side roads and from in front of the military barricades, setting off pitched street battles in which both sides threw punches and hurled rocks.

Gunfire was heard, but it was unclear who was shooting. Some firebombs were thrown, igniting large blazes in the middle of the street and near buildings. The identity of the attackers could not immediately be determined. Similar groups of men have tried to break up other rallies, and Mubarak’s regime often used hired thugs to attack protesters. Some witnesses said they might have been residents or shopkeepers angry at the loss of business as a result of the protests.

Others said local residents threw water bottles to the protesters and

CAIRO: A protester waves an Egyptian flag during clashes with armed men at the Abbasiyah area in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, July 23, 2011.— AP helped them reach safety. At one point, a man perched over a female protester, squeezing her against the wall where she was taking cover from the flying rocks. The man cursed her and accused her of being hired to cause chaos. The man shouted: “Damn your revolution!” An Associated Press reporter saw a firebomb flying from inside a garden lining a side street, landing at a distance from the protesters.

The attackers then charged toward the protesters and accused them of throwing the flaming bottle. “We are extremely angry. These are Egyptians beating us,” said protester Selma Abou el- Dahab. A medical official said more than 140 people were hospitalized with wounds from thrown rocks and falling in the stampede. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the press.

The violence broke out following a televised speech by Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, the head of the ruling military council, who attempted to diffuse the tension by praising the youth who led the uprising that toppled Mubarak.

The speech was to commemorate the 1952 coup anniversary. Many protesters have grown distrustful of

the military rulers who assumed control of the country on Feb. 11. A few hundred have been camped out in Tahrir Square since July 8 to pressure the military to bring those accused of killing nearly 900 protesters during the 18-day uprising to trial. So far, only one low-ranking policeman has been charged in absentia for killing protesters.

Critics accuse the generals of dragging their feet in bringing former regime officials to trial and purging the government of Mubarak loyalists as well as trying civilians in military courts.

But not all activists supported the march toward the military council. Hafez Abou Saada, a prominent human rights activist and longtime democracy advocate, said the rally was a call “for confrontation that no one needs.”

Saturday’s march was the second consecutive day that protesters tried to reach the headquarters of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. On Friday, crowds tried to reach the building to denounce the purported beatings of demonstrators by military forces during another rally in the city of Alexandria.

Tantawi appealed for national unity and called the youth activists “a

great product of Egyptian soil.” The military council has promised to hand over power to an elected civilian government within six months.

Parliamentary elections are now set for October or November, followed by presidential elections, likely next year. In a statement released on its Facebook page, the army denied using violence against protesters in Alexandria on Friday and accused activists of seeking to drive a wedge between it and the people.

“The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces urges the public to exercise caution and not to be drawn into this suspicious plot that aims to undermine Egypt’s stability,” the statement said in unusually strong language. It singled out the April 6 movement, one of the largest groups behind the protests that forced Mubarak to step down.

Activists responded by saying the army rejects all criticism of how it is ruling the country Mohammed Adel, an April 6 spokesman, said “defaming” the group is reminiscent of the language used by the previous regime against its opponents.

“It is the army that is driving a wedge between it and the people by accusing others of treason,” he said. —AP

Israel’s Lieberman won’t quit on apology to Turkey JERUSALEM: Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said yesterday that he would not quit the coalition government if it decides to apologize to Turkey for the killing of pro-Palestinian Turks on board an activist ship last year.

Lieberman, the most powerful ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had opposed meeting Ankara’s demand that Israel atone for the killing of nine Turks when Israeli troops stormed the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara.

But after Israeli officials said Netanyahu may apologize, Lieberman denied having any plan to quit in protest. “Whether or not there is agreement in the government about this matter, this government is strong,” he told reporters.

“No one is looking for excuses and reasons to leave the government.” Israel’s debate over apologizing to Turkey has been spurred by its expectation that an imminent UN report on the high seas interception will largely vindicate its Gaza blockade strategy.

Turkey, which like Israel had a delegate on the UN inquiry panel led by former New Zealand prime minister Geoffrey Palmer, has yet to sign the report and Netanyahu envoys have been in bilateral

talks with Ankara in the hope of bridging the gaps.

Israeli officials voiced dismay after Turk ish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday reiterated demands that, in addition to saying sorry, Israel also compensate Mavi Marmara survivors and end a blockade on Gaza that

he insists is illegal. “He’s not exactly making it easy for us to apologize,” said one Netanyahu aide. Israel says the blockade prevents arms reaching Gaza’s ruling Hamas Islamists, who are hostile to the Jewish state.

Netanyahu has so far offered only expressions of “regret” at

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, listens to cabinet secretary, Zvi Hauser during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem yesterday. Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said yesterday he will not quit should Netanyahu decide to apologize for the killing of nine Turks.—AP

the aid flotilla incident and proposed setting up a fund for those bereaved or injured. At the time, his advisers said a formal apology and damages payments would be tantamount to Israel admitting culpability for actions it deems self-defense.

But officials say internal legal reviews have since found that placating the Turks so that they endorse the Palmer report, even at the cost of an apology, would significantly shore up Israel against pro-Palestinian lawsuits in international courts.

“Alongside preserving the State of Israel’s honor and asserting its righteousness, we have a supreme interest in protecting officers, commanders and combatants from possible prosecution aboard,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Israel’s Army Radio, when asked about the Mavi Marmara deliberations.

“We have to weigh our steps in the context of this reality.”

Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel after the incident in May 2010, suspended military cooperation, and closed its airspace to Israeli military aircraft. Israel says its marines acted in self-defence after an initial boarding party was attacked.— Reuters

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War over but massacres continue in Ivory Coast Ouattara seemingly powerless over rebel army

DADAAB: A boy runs in front of his heard of camels on the outskirts of the town of Dadaab, Kenya, yesterday, 2011. Some thousands of people are displaced as they search for aid and The World Food Program executive director Josette Sheeran said Saturday they can’t reach the estimated 2.2 million Somalis in desperate need of aid who are in militant-controlled areas of Somalia so people are likely to migrate to neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia.— AP

UN to hold Horn of Africa emergency talks in Rome ROME: The UN food agency FAO will host emergency talks on the Horn of Africa drought crisis in Rome on Monday as aid groups scramble to raise money for an estimated 12 million people on the brink of starvation. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on donor countries to come up with $1.6 billion in aid for two regions of southern Somalia that were declared famine zones by the United Nations this month. “This is an emergency ministerial meeting that is prompted by the escalation of the famine,” said Cristina Amaral, head of emergency operations in Africa for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the Italian capital.

“We’re afraid that things will get worse in the coming months if nothing is done now.

The main aim of the meeting is to call the political attention of leaders of the world,” said Amaral, who is helping to organize the talks. Among the attendees expected will be FAO director Jacques Diouf, the head of the World Food Program Josette Sheeran, Oxfam chief executive Barbara Stocking and ministers from Djibouti, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. International aid agencies are scrambling to find ways to deliver food supplies to millions of people living in the epicenter of the famine in parts of Somalia controlled by the Al Qaeda-inspired Islamist group Shebab.

The World Food program was forced to leave southern Somalia last year following a series of curbs and threats from the Shebab.

The militants this month said foreign aid groups could return to the area but on Friday a Shebab spokesman said the ban was still in place. UN workers have said they will continue to try to work where they can. The UN children’s fund UNICEF has already made one delivery of five metric tons of food and medicine to the insurgent-controlled town of Baidoa. The UN says tens of thousands of people have been killed by the worst drought in 60 years, which has wreaked havoc in war-

torn Somalia but has also hit more widely in parts of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. Experts say the effects of two failed rainy seasons in the region have been exacerbated by the rapid rise in the costs of fuel and food and the conflict in Somalia and have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Long-term solutions for the crisis-such as assistance to livestock farmers, the introduction of more drought-resistant crops and measures to control food price volatility-are also set to be discussed at the meeting. The talks were called by the French presidency of the G20 leading world economies and will be attended by French Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire. France said that the talks should aim to “coordinate the international response to this crisis in the short and medium-term.” WFP director Sheeran visited Mogadishu on Thursday and promised her agency would begin airlifts of food aid into the Somali capital “within days”.

Sheeran then toured the Dadaab camp in northern Kenya-the biggest refugee camp in the world-on Saturday along with Le Maire and Diouf. European Union aid commissioner Kristalina Georgieva also visited the camp on Saturday and promised to boost aid by $40 million. The funds come on top of 70 million euros the bloc has already contributed. The total number of Somali refugees that have fled to Ethiopia and Kenya in recent weeks to escape starvation is estimated at more than half a million. In a report for the meeting, FAO pointed to food prices as a key factor. FAO researchers found that maize and red sorghum were being sold in Mogadisuhu last month at record prices of 660 dollars and 670 dollars per ton respectively-increases of 106 percent and 180 percent on an annual basis.

They also said that expected above-average rainfall would provide some relief for crop producing parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan but that the situation for livestock herders in Somalia was likely to worsen. — AFP

IVORY COAST: The inauguration of Ivory Coast’s new president played out before a crowd of tens of thousands. Women wore dresses printed with his portrait. World leaders flew in for the day in a show of international support. The massacre by the president’s men started the day after, at dinnertime. The soldiers burst into a clearing on the banks of the river here, opening fire with a machine gun mounted on a wheelbarrow. The dozens of families that had sought refuge in this distant spot dropped their plates of food and kicked over pots as they ran. By the time the soldiers were finished, it was morning and as many as 47 people were dead. The lucky ones drowned in the river.

President Alassane Ouattara’s inauguration after a violent, four-month-long standoff with the country’s former ruler was supposed to have marked the turning of a page for this deeply fractured nation. It represented the triumph of democracy, for Ouattara had won Ivory Coast’s first free and fair election in a decade, only to be barred from office by the outgoing president who did not want to cede power. Ouattara was only able to remove expresident Laurent Gbagbo after he enlisted the help of a rebel army which swept across this nation on Africa’s western coast, seizing control of every town in its path. The question now is whether Ouattara is able to control the men who control his country, and without whom he would not have been able to have taken office. Ouattara has pledged to investigate the killings of thousands of people during the war on both sides.

Even after the war, however, Ouattara’s forces have killed at least 500 people, according to human rights groups. And he seems powerless to stop them, or even acknowledge what they are doing. “You make all these deals with the devil, and then what? In so many ways it’s now out of Ouattara’s hands,” said Yale anthropologist Mike McGovern, author of a book on Ivory Coast’s political crisis. “He needs to go after these guys. But if he does the right thing, he could pay with his life.” The story of the massacre, reported here for the first time, gives a window into the growing disconnect between Ouattara’s promises and the reality on the ground. It also shows how far this French-speaking nation of 21 million people has fallen from its days of prosperity, when it boasted skyscrapers, multiplexes, jet ski competitions and the only ice rink in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is not easy to reach the banks of this river, a ribbon of opaque water that marks the border with neighboring Liberia. It is a one- to two-day walk from Blolequin, the nearest town on the Ivorian side, on trails that slice through a jungle so thick you can see no more than a few yards (meters) in any direction. This is Gbagbo land. And as the Ouattara rebels approached in March, tens of thousands of Gbagbo supporters fled across the river in dugout canoes to Liberia. Nearly all of them were Guere, an ethnic group so closely associated with the former president that just being able to speak the language is synonymous with having voted for him. Most were civilians but mixed with them were also people who had killed for Gbagbo, including members of his feared militia. Ouattara’s forces arrested Gbagbo on April 11. In his subsequent address to the nation, the president welcomed a new era of hope, and his ambassador declared the nightmare in the Ivory Coast over.

While life slowly resumed in the rest of the country, in the west, where two-thirds of the population had voted for Gbagbo, villages remained empty. The bodies of the dead clogged wells. Piles of bleached bones marked execution spots. On the road to Blolequin, Ouattara’s soldiers caught an old man who had helped campaign for Gbagbo. They cut off his head, mounted it on a stake, and placed

sunglasses over the eyes and a cigarette in the decomposing mouth. A month after Gbagbo’s arrest, there were still 175,857 refugees in Liberia.

Ouattara sent the chief of the rebel army, Guillaume Soro, who is now Ouattara’s prime minister, to ask them to return. Soro said the ousted president Gbagbo was being fed so well under house arrest that he had put on 11 pounds.

The refugees have nothing to fear, he said, promising that “any refugee that returns can also expect to gain 5 kilos (11 pounds).” As Ouattara’s May 21 inauguration approached, a small number of people had started trickling back, encouraged by the message of reconciliation. On the eve of the inauguration, dozens of people had set up camp in a clearing less than 1.5 miles from the river. They figured they could run and reach the river in time if they were spotted. In the hour before the attack, the field abounded with village life. Laundry lay out to dry on the grass. Chickens ran freely. Each family set up a cooking area, using a triangle of stones as a stove. Rice boiled on several fires, and men gathered bright orange fruit from the base of palm

IVORY COAST: The body of a woman whose description and location match that of Anne Ouli, mother of survivor Alexi Lony, lies amongst weeds in the Dedjan campsite, near the banks of the Cavally River in western Ivory Coast. — AP trees to make the region’s signature dish.

Several people said they heard Ouattara’s speech on handheld radios. He vowed to be a leader for all of Ivory Coast, saying: “This ceremony today is not about the victory of one side over another.” There was no warning. The shooting started at 7, maybe 8 p.m. It was still light out. People jumped to their feet, dropping plates and spoons.

Young mothers scrambled to tie their children onto their backs as toddlers wailed. The 1.5 miles to the river proved to be too long for those least able to protect themselves. Alexis Lony was helping his family prepare dinner and had just put the water to boil. The 23-year-old yelled at his mother to run, dove to the ground and fought his way through the thorny undergrowth, even as it slashed his skin.

He says he lay flat on his stomach under a cascading tangle of foliage and saw them grab his mother. They hit her, and she fell at the base of a banana tree. The soldiers swarmed the clearing.

Among the last to flee was the adult son of Amelie Vlonhou, a disabled woman. Vlonhou, 43, had been paralyzed since birth, and her family had pooled funds to buy her a rarity in this part of the world: a wheelchair. In Keibly, a village just outside Blolequin, she had wheeled herself from hut to hut

More British papers pulled into row

CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrives in Caracas from Cuba.— AFP

Chavez says he is free of cancer after treatment CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was back in his country yesterday after undergoing chemotherapy treatment in Cuba, declaring himself free of “malignant cells” and ready to continue his work. The 56year-old leader underwent an operation in Cuba a month ago for a cancerous tumor in his pelvic area. Chavez, who was welcomed at the airport by members of his cabinet and top military officials late Saturday, said he was confident of a quick recovery. “I underwent examinations and I must tell you that doctors did not find any malignant cells in any part of my body,” the president told local television as he stepped off his plane.

He cautioned, however, that there existed the risk of a relapse and “because of that chemotherapy was needed.” Chavez said he was happy to be home. “We will conquer this disease with the help of God and medical science in order to continue paving the way for a new motherland,” he added. The president, who is known for his flamboyant political style, said Venezuela “cannot lose its way” or “become a colony” again but did not elaborate. On Friday, Chavez said he had “successfully” finished a first round of chemotherapy and was preparing for the second round, but did not disclose his treatment schedule.

“There will be several rounds in order to win this battle and eliminate all risk of malignant cells.” He also vowed “unsurpassable” courage in his battle against the cancer.

Earlier this month, the Venezuelan president asked the National Assembly for permission to travel to Cuba to continue treatment following the June 20 operation. To lawmakers he described the chemotherapy as the “second stage of this slow and complex process of recovery.” Though the National Assembly unanimously approved his travel request, needed for the president to leave the country for more than five days, opposition leaders insisted it was unconstitutional for Chavez to continue to exercise executive authority from Cuba. Critics of the president have demanded more details about his cancer, as well as answers to why he cannot be treated in Venezuela, where authorities say they have created a quality health care system. The Venezuelan government has not explained the extent of Chavez’s cancer or provided any other details about the disease.

Cuba, the America’s only one-party communist regime, is Chavez’s closest regional ally.

Chavez, in power since 1999, is his party’s candidate for the 2012 presidential election, seeking a third six-year term in office.— AFP

LONDON: Phone-hacking allegations spread beyond the felled News of the World to other British tabloids on Saturday, though the claims were strongly denounced by their proprietors. Former journalists at the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror-the main tabloid competitors to Rupert Murdoch’s British stable-reportedly said the illegal hacking of voicemails was widespread at their papers too. The scandal has also rocked the British police and even given Prime Minister David Cameron a rough ride, but has so far largely been limited to the News of the World, which Murdoch shut on July 7 amid public outrage.

James Hipwell, a former Daily Mirror financial journalist jailed in 2005 for buying shares before tipping them in the paper, said he was aware of hacking because he worked next to the showbusiness desk where it was rife.”You know what people around you are doing,” the 45-year-old told The Independent newspaper.

“They would call a celebrity with one phone and when it was answered they would then hang up. By that stage the other phone would be into their (the celebrity’s) voicemail and they would key in the code.” “There was a great hilarity about it.”Hipwell worked at the Mirror for two years until 2000 when it was under the editorship of Piers Morgan, himself a former News of the World editor. Hipwell was sacked by the Mirror over the so-called “City Slickers” scandal.

Morgan, who is now a presenter for US television news network CNN, has denied having any knowledge that phone hacking went on under his editorship and came out fighting on Saturday. He made a fresh demand for an apology from Louise Mensch, a British lawmaker on a parliamentary committee which quizzed Rupert and James Murdoch on Tuesday, who claimed during the hearing that Morgan had admitted to phone hacking.

“Now then Louise Mensch-will you be making (a) public apology for your lies in parliament about me, or do I have to write to (committee chairman) John Whittingdale?” Morgan said on Twitter. “You could just have the guts to accuse me of phone hacking outside of parliamentary privilege, and see how you get on.”

to braid women’s hair, making enough of a living to support herself and her son. He tried to push her toward the trail, but panicked when the wheelchair got stuck on the uneven ground. He ducked and ran, leaving her. She lowered herself onto the forest floor, says Lony, and tried to drag herself into the vegetation.

She could not pull in her paralyzed legs, however, and they stuck out of the foliage. The soldiers dragged her back as she sobbed and tried to hold on to the dirt. Capt Eddie Mindi, Ouattara’s regional commander for western Ivory Coast, acknowledges that he sent around 25 soldiers to the banks of the river, but from there the stories diverge. He says he received reports that Gbagbo’s mercenaries were amassing at the water and planning to disrupt the inauguration. He ordered his men to leave Blolequin the morning of May 22 on foot. They reached the site by evening. The mercenaries opened fire with rocket launchers first, he says, and his men returned fire in self-defense. He denies that most of the dead were civilians. Ivory Coast started down the path that would culminate in this

Separately the BBC quoted an unidentified former Sunday Mirror journalist who worked on the paper in the past decade and claimed to have witnessed routine phone hacking in the newsroom. Trinity Mirror, the group which publishes both papers, said its journalists work within the law and the code of conduct of Britain’s self-regulatory Press Complaints Commission. It said Hipwell’s allegations were “totally unsubstantiated”.

On Thursday it emerged that police had requested files from a British data protection regulator which published a report showing the non-Murdoch Daily Mail, the Mirror and the Trinity Mirror-published The People were the biggest users of private investigators to seek confidential information. Meanwhile police are to investigate claims of phone hacking in Scotland, which has its own legal system, and whether witnesses lied during a perjury trial last year.

Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson-who went on to become Cameron’s media chief before resigning and being arrested this year-was among those who gave evidence. Also the Daily Telegraph newspaper said Saturday that British finance minister George Osborne dined with Rupert Murdoch in New York in December, two weeks before Britain’s media regulator was originally due to decide on whether to approve Murdoch’s bid for full control of pay-T V giant BSkyB. Murdoch’s US-based News Corp. was forced to abandon a bid for full control of the lucrative pay-TV satellite broadcaster earlier this month because of the scandal. The Treasury refused to discuss who attended, but insisted that BSkyB was not discussed. The Daily Telegraph also said that Lord Brian Leveson, the judge in charge of the phone-hacking inquiry, went to two parties in the last year at the home of Matthew Freud, a public relations executive married to Murdoch’s daughter Elisabeth.

The BBC reported that Leveson had told Cameron of his Murdoch connections before he was appointed last week. Cameron’s Downing Street office said he attended the events in his capacity as sentencing council chair, and “nothing more”. —AFP

violence more than two decades ago, around the time the country became the world’s top exporter of cocoa.

The country’s liberal land-owning policy lured millions of immigrants, many of them Muslims from Burkina Faso, like Ouattara’s forefathers. When cocoa prices crashed in the 1980s, they were chased off the land they had bought. A wave of xenophobia washed over the country, and in 1995 and 2000, Ouattara was disqualified from running in the presidential election over accusations he was not really Ivorian. His supporters were barred from getting voter identity cards. The resentment boiled over in a 2002 civil war led by Muslim rebels many of whom were the children of immigrants who had lost their land. When these same rebels made it to the trail here in the heart of cocoa country, there was a history of grievances going back as far as anyone could remember.

The trail to the water leaves the clearing through a narrow mouth, and enters an abandoned grove of cocoa trees. If you close your eyes, the insects sound like television static. One group of soldiers stayed in the clearing, while a second pushed the wheelbarrow mounted with the machine gun down the trail. —AP

Gunman kills self, murders 5 others at Texas roller rink GRAND PRAIRIE: A man attending a birthday party at a roller rink opened fire Saturday night after an apparent spat between family members, killing five people and wounding at least three others before fatally shooting himself, authorities said. The shootings happened about 7 p.m. at Forum Roller World in Grand Prairie when police said the man drew a pistol during a fight between a husband and wife. The victims’ names and ages were not immediately released. Grand Prairie police spokesman John Brimmer said no young children or employees of the roller rink were among them, the Fort Worth StarTelegram reported. How the gunman was related to the other people who died was not immediately clear.

After the man arrived at a private birthday party, an argument ensued and “it escalated to the point where he pulled a gun and started shooting,” Brimmer said. The injured were taken to hospitals, and their conditions weren’t immediately disclosed. Grief counselors were available for witnesses, victims and family members, Police Chief Steve Dye said. Derrian Harris, 18, of Grand Prairie said he rushed to the rink Saturday night after hearing about the shootings, joining others who stood in a bowling alley parking across the street. He said he usually goes skating every Friday night and was worried about whether any of his friends were hurt. He said he has never seen so much as a fight at the rink in Grand Prairie, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Dallas.

“All kinds of people come here to skate, and everybody gets along,” Harris told The Associated Press. Aaron Feldt of Grand Prairie told The Dallas Morning News he was across the street when he saw some victims run across the parking lot of the roller rink, where decorative lights were still flashing in the front windows. “I saw family coming across the street looking panicked,” Feldt said.

“They had children along with some adults. You could tell there was a sense of urgency and panic in their eyes.”

Great Southwest Parkway, a major street in an industrial area in front of the rink, was partially blocked off after the shootings.

About a dozen police vehicles with lights flashing and a few fire trucks were parked nearby, with a mobile command station in front of the building and police tape surrounding it. As of 9:30 p.m., bodies were still inside the building, the Morning News reported. Byron Raspberry of Grand Prairie said his children go to the rink frequently because it is near their home.”It doesn’t make any sense,” Raspberry said. “I don’t feel safe at all.” — AP

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NATO hands model anti-Taleban province over to Afghan forces Afghan transition tempered by violence

ALLAHABAD: Indian villagers use a makeshift raft to transport their belongings to dry ground after water levels in The River Ganges rose yesterday. Seasonal monsoon rains are now present across all of northern India. — AFP

British police face new claims in Murdoch tabloid scandal LONDON: British police faced new allegations yesterday that officers leaked details about terror attack victims and a murdered schoolgirl to journalists at Rupert Murdoch’s felled News of the World tabloid. The claims deepen the scandal surrounding phone-hacking at the paper, which has shaken Murdoch’s global media empire, claimed the jobs of two of Britain’s top police officers and dragged in Prime Minister David Cameron. The Obser ver newspaper reported that survivors of the July 7, 2005 London bombings had asked lawyers to probe their belief that the capital’s Metropolitan Police had sold or passed on a confidential contact list of victims.

Beverli Rhodes, chair of the Survivors Foundation Coalition, told the Observer that journalists from the paper approached survivors with false stories about how they got their details.

“Scotland Yard had the full list of survivor contact details. I am pretty sure that is how the News of the World got my home address,” she said. Four suicide bombers blew themselves up on three underground trains and a bus in the worst terror attacks on British soil, killing 52 people. Separately the BBC reported that police had removed an officer from the inquiry into the murder of 13-year-old Milly Dowler in 2002 after information was allegedly leaked to the

News of the World (NotW ). Police in Surrey, a county southwest of London, confirmed that a detective constable was accused by a colleague of inappropriately disclosing information about the case to a “retired police officer friend.”

The officer “received words of advice and was removed permanently from the inquiry,” the force said in a statement. It did not mention the NotW. The tabloid has already been accused of hacking Dowler’s voicemails and those of families of 7/7 victims, but this is the first time police have directly been linked to the paper’s activities on the two events.

Murdoch has now closed the NotW and personally apologized to Dowler’s parents. Revelations that police employed a former NotW executive who has since been arrested over hacking claimed the jobs of Scotland Yard chief Paul Stephenson and the force’s anti-terror boss John Yates a week ago. Scotland Yard was heavily criticised for botching an initial investigation, which resulted in the jailing of the paper’s former royal editor and a private investigator in 2007 but concluded he was a “rogue reporter.”

When the force bowed to pressure and reopened the probe in Januar y it emerged that nearly 4,000 people may have had their phones hacked, including celebrities, politicians, royals and crime victims. — AFP

Ex-rebel proxies sweep Lanka local elections JAFFNA: A former proxy to Sri Lanka’s defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels swept local council elections held in areas ravaged by the country’s 25-year civil war, officials said yesterday, amid reports of intimidation and vote-buying. The Tamil National Alliance won 20 local councils out of the 25 it contested in the ethnic Tamil-majority north and east, the Elections Department said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance coalition secured five councils in Saturday’s vote. The election assumed unprecedented national significance, with the main two rivals both seeing it as a confidence vote.

The resounding victory consolidates the Tamil National Alliance’s status as an authentic representative of ethnic Tamils in negotiations with Rajapaksa’s ethnic majority Sinhalesecontrolled government in sharing political power and postwar rehabilitation. The party had appealed to voters to give it a mandate to demand selfrule in the Tamil-majority areas.

Rajapaksa’s ruling party, for its part, had hoped a victory for its allies would blunt calls for an international war crimes investigation, mostly coming from the US and other Western nations, and vindicate the harsh tactics that killed thousands of Tamil civilians in the final months of the civil war, which ended in May 2009. It also could have allowed Rajapaksa to offer a less generous power-sharing deal, which his Tamil allies would most likely have accepted.

Rajapaksa already has rejected a demand by the Tamil National Alliance to allow Tamil control over local police and land. “It clearly shows the Tamil people’s stand on political and development matters,” TNA lawmaker Suresh Premachandran said of the election result. He said the Tamils had given his party a mandate for a “dignified political settlement” and urged the government to respect the verdict.

Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that despite failing to win control of many councils in the north, the ruling party had taken a “stride forward” by getting many members elected.

“This is part of the peace dividend and participatory democracy that has manifested,” he said of the vote.

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage had told The Associated Press earlier, while campaigning in the former Tamil Tiger rebels’ northern base of Kilinochchi, that a victory for the governing party would “enable us to tell the world that we have won the confidence of the Tamil people after winning the war.” He said it would also silence a strong expatriate Tamil community lobbying for a war crimes investigation.

Rajapaksa had backed a Tamil paramilitary-cum political party. The results in Tamil areas were a sharp contrast to elections in ethnic Sinhalese-majority regions also held Saturday, with the United People’s Freedom Alliance sweeping all 40 councils. That result highlights Rajapaksa’s immense popularity among Sinhalese more than two years after leading the war victory, and also shows the ethnic polarization that still exists.

Election monitoring group Campaign for Free and Fair Elections said in a statement Saturday that uniformed men suspected to be members of the military, which still has a large presence in the former war zone, were forcibly collecting voting cards, apparently to rig the vote. It reported that such incidents took place in 20 villages. People who refused to give away their cards “were beaten up and threatened to cut their throats out,” the group said. It also observed men in uniform distributing food to people and asking them to vote for the ruling party.

In some areas, residents were paid 5 or 10 dollars in exchange for voting cards, it said. Most people in the region are extremely poor after losing their families’ breadwinners and belongings in the war. Rambukwella denied that the army was used for vote-buying, but said any credible complaints would be investigated. Sri Lanka’s top officials, including Rajapaksa and Cabinet ministers, had campaigned for minority Tamil votes.

They cut ribbons on projects for sports complexes, played cricket with local youths and promised to rebuild Tamil homes. It was a rare effort for such a relatively minor ballot, but the governing coalition insists it is committed to ethnic reconciliation - though none of its touted programs toward healing has begun. — AP

PANJSHIR VALLEY: NATO troops yesterday handed control of the Panjshir valley, a fiercely anti-Taleban province, to Afghan forces in the last of a series of security transitions.

Panjshir, around 130 kilometers northeast of the capital Kabul, is one of Afghanistan’s most peaceful regions and the seventh area to be put under local forces’ control over the past week. Ceremonies attended by ministers and representatives of foreign forces have been held in six of the seven areas, but there will be no official event in Kabul province, most of which will now be under Afghan control, officials said.

Although the transition timetable has been roundly criticized as politically motivated amid skepticism over the ability of Afghan forces to ward off the Taleban rebels, Panjshir is cited as ripe for the handover. Panjshiris, mainly ethnic Tajiks, pride themselves on having kept out the Taleban and repelled the Soviet Union after its 1979 invasion, and the beautiful valley is now a favored picnicking spot for visitors from Kabul. “Panjshir is special,” said Ashraf Ghani, head of the transition authority, at a ceremony that began with the playing of the Afghan national anthem in the presence of officials from Kabul and the US. “The people of Panjshir show that security belongs to the people,” he said. Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak hailed Panjshir as “an example for other provinces.”

“Defending one’s own land is the role and responsibility of every Afghan,” he said. “The enemy cannot harm anyone in this province.

We all have to learn from the people of Panjshir.” Panjshir was the home of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the country’s much loved antiSoviet and anti-Taleban commander who was assassinated by Al-Qaeda suicide bombers two days before the September 11, 2001 attacks. “Massoud is not present with us today, but his soul is everywhere with us in this ceremony,” Wardak said, as MPs watched

PANJSHIR VALLEY: Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (left), head of the Transition Commission, kisses a flag of an Afghan police force unit during a ceremony to hand over security control in the rugged mountains yesterday. — AFP from a raised platform draped with pictures of Massoud as well as President Hamid Karzai.

Dominated by the snow-capped mountains of the Hindu Kush and a fast-flowing river in steep valleys, the province still has rusting hulks of Soviet tanks lining its roads-symbols of the Russians’ failure to win the area despite 10 attempts.

US and Afghan officials hope its history and natural beauty will in future bring tourists to Panjshir and boost the nation’s economy as foreign forces pull out and as aid money falls in the years ahead.Senior US embassy official Richard Olson said American support would not disappear overnight. “The support of the US will continue towards Panjshir. Transition is just the next step in the

Swat rebuilds a year after Pakistan floods ARIANA: A year after floods swept away homes and livelihoods, Pakistani survivors of a Taleban uprising are courting fresh disaster in the picturesque Swat valley by refusing to leave for higher ground. It was about 7pm on July 29 when Sayed Zamin Khan, 55, lent over his terrace, transfixed as the muddy Swat river swallowed one by one the neighbor’s homes which were built, like the rest of the hamlet of Ariana, beside the water. “It’s OK, it is safe!” he yelled at his nephew Shujat Ali, who stood back, worried, keeping his distance.

“Then the ground collapsed and he drowned in the river with part of his house and terrace,” remembered a sad Ali, a 36-year-old shopkeeper with a pale complexion and a mop of ginger hair.

There were 45 houses in Ariana before Pakistan’s worst floods left 20 percent of the country underwater last summer, affecting 21 million people. But in less than 24 hours, only two remained, at the back of the village furthest from the water, those owned by Ali and his family.

Officials say 150 people died in the Swat valley with 3,000 homes destroyed and 200,000 residents displaced in a mountainous area already struggling to rebuild after a two-year Taleban insurgency.

District commissioner Kamran Rehman Khan is upbeat, telling AFP from the comfort of his office in Mingora, 250 kilometers (156 miles) northwest of Islamabad, that reconstruction work is on track.

“Except in the (northern) Kalam area, where we have to rebuild a solid road and put back city power, there are no more big problems. All the work should be finished in six months or a year,” he said.

Above all, it is the army that local residents thank. The forces were a godsend for survivors of the 2007-2009 Taleban uprising, sending in 30,000 soldiers and evicting militants who beheaded government workers, shut shops and burnt schools to impose a harsh brand of sharia law. “The presence of the army was a blessing,” said Zahid Khan, head of the Sarhad Rural Support Programme, the largest charity in the area, financed by Western donors such as the United Nations and United States. “Forty-two

bridges were destroyed and the army rebuilt them with temporary structures in 35 to 40 days,” he said. “The army helped us a lot,” Khan agreed, even if two years after they declared Swat back under control they have yet to rescind responsibility to civilian administrators. Many criticized the government last year for its seemingly insufficient response to the scale of the floods, presented by aid agencies as worse than the 2005 earthquake that killed 73,000 in Pakistan.

Victims qualified for handouts of 20,000 to 25,000 rupees ($234 to $292), but promises of 100,000 rupees ($1,170) for those who lost their homes have largely not materialized. Along the churning Swat river, those who lost homes have not waited for government handouts to rebuild. Mian Mohammed Iqbal, 46, lost everything-his life savings of two million rupees ($23,223) and his business of 25 years-when muddy and sandy waters inundated his clothes shop in the village of Behrain. Like everyone in the valley, he fears new floods and has rented another premises higher up in town to keep his stock.

Last month, Pakistan’s national disaster management authority warned that floods triggered by monsoon rains this year could affect up to six million. Behrain, a magnificent setting where little houses cling to mountain crags overlooking the confluence of two rivers, was devastated last year. Hotels favored by tourists looking to escape the punishing heat of the Pakistani plains for the balmy temperatures of a mountain summer were ruined, including Mohammed Siddiq’s little fiveroom guest house.

The 51-year-old knows the authorities warned him to build further away from the river but, like other survivors, he is ignoring the advice. “I know it’s dangerous, but I don’t have any other alternative,” said the father-of-seven. Pakistanis in Swat said they preferred to stay put, protected by the army and with tourists returning, rather than live an uncertain exile in the suburbs of big cities, congested and crime ridden. Ali and his family of 15 have also decided to stay. — AFP

BAHRAIN: Pakistani families sit on traditional outdoor beds on the river Swat at the popular hill station. — AFP

strong relations between the US and Afghanistan,” Olson said.

Massoud’s tomb in the province is being developed into a $10 million tourist attraction complete with mosque, library and conference centre. Officials hope Massoud’s legacy to act as a focal point for visitors, along with adventure activities such as mountain trekking and kayaking. But such plans are ambitious, with much of Afghanistan in the grip of an increasingly violent insurgency led by the Taleban extremists who were ousted from government in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks on the US. The first stage of transition is part of a process focused on the withdrawal of 150,000 NATO-led troops by the end of 2014. — AFP

Legendary Islamic school ousts reformist leader NEW DELHI: One of the world’s most revered schools of Islamic learning ousted its reformist leader yesterday just months into his term, after he praised a Hindu nationalist politician loathed by many Muslims in India. Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi had pledged to update the Darul Uloom seminary’s curriculum and rein in hard-line religious edicts when he became vice chancellor in January. But within days he upset conservatives and sparked protests by praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s development policies and reportedly saying Muslims in that western state should move on from the 2002 communal riots that left hundreds dead.

The board of the 150-year-old institution in the northern town of Deoband voted yesterday to replace 60-year-old Vastanvi, who is also an MBA, with Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani. “Now, I am the vice chancellor of the seminary,” Nomani told Press Trust of India.

The board had first debated a special committee’s report on Vastanvi’s conduct, prompting 14 b o a rd m e m b e r s to w a l k o u t , N o m a n i s a i d.

Vastanvi objected that the report was incomplete.

Nevertheless, the remaining board members voted 9-4 to remove Vastanvi. “This is injustice and a conspiracy against me,” Vastanvi reportedly said, but added that he would not seek to reverse the decision.

Darul Uloom has around 4,000 students and, as the center of the Deobandi school of Islam, is seen as the spiritual light for thousands of other schools across the Middle East, Britain, the United States, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It was founded in 1866 to preserve Islamic culture in India and preaches an austere form of Islam that has inspired millions of Muslims, including the Taleban’s hard-line interpretation. — AP

Canada arrests suspected Pakistan war criminal MONTREAL: Canada said Saturday it had arrested a suspected Pakistani war criminal, the second such arrest made since the government listed 30 foreigners actively sought on Canadian soil. Arshad Muhammad, 42, was arrested thanks to public tips, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said in a statement. The Toronto Sun said that Muhammad, who also goes by Certosa Aranci, was arrested after he was recognized in a store in Mississauga, just west of Toronto.On Friday, authorities said they had arrested former Honduran soldier Cristobal Gonzalez-Ramirez, who had served in a special army unit in Honduras where he allegedly committed war crimes as a soldier.

Ottawa indicated that Muhammad was also “suspected of complicity in a war crime or a crime against humanity,” without providing further details. “The help that Canadians are providing to Canada Border Services is proving to be beyond what we had expected,” said Toews. “Those who have been involved in war crimes or crimes against humanity will find no haven on our shores; they will be located, and they will face the consequences.” Muhammad’s arrest came after the government published a list of 30 men accused of crimes against humanity this week-including their photos and birth dates-suspected of hiding on Canadian soil. Canada adopted a federal law of universal jurisdiction in 2000 for crimes against humanity. Under the law, a Rwandan was sent to prison for life in 2009 for participating in the 1994 genocide there. — AFP

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Rights group reports protest in China’s Inner Mongolia BEIJING: Dozens of ethnic Mongolian herders ended up in hospital after they clashed with Chinese hired by a local businessman who had tried to seize their land last week in China’s restive northern region of Inner Mongolia, a rights group said. Inner Mongolia was rocked by protests in May over the death of an ethnic Mongolian herder who was hit by a truck after taking part in protests against pollution caused by a coal mine. Angry ethnic Mongolians at that time took to the streets across Inner Mongolia demanding better protection of the environment as well as their rights, traditions and land, in the

worst unrest to hit the normally tranquil region in years.

In the latest incident, herders protested against the local government for allowing a Han Chinese businessman “to illegally grab a large piece of their grazing land for cultivation”, the New York-based Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Centre said. The businessman “hired more than 200 Chinese to kill dozens of livestock with their heavy vehicles and bulldozers and to beat up local Mongolian herders who resisted the occupation of their land”, it said in a statement received yesterday. A herder

called Baatar “was brutally beaten up by these Chinese on the morning of July 18, while he was tending his sheep on his grazing land”, the group added, saying dozens of others were also hospitalized.

The Bairin Right Banner government, where the latest incident happened, sent some 300 riot police and officials to quell the unrest, it said. The local government could not immediately be reached for comment. “We have been impoverished; we have lost our lands to the Chinese; we have been plundered of our natural resources; our livestock are perishing; many of us

have become homeless on our own lands,” the group cited an online petition as saying. “We are treated with no dignity. We must stand up to defend our human rights rather than being silently killed by the Chinese army.” In June, a court in Inner Mongolia handed out a death sentence and life in jail for two men charged with the homicide of the ethnic Mongolian herder that set off the original protests in May. Beijing, ever worried by threats to stability, has been trying to address some of the protesters’ broader concerns about the damage done by development to traditional grazing

lands, taking particular aim at coal miners. Ethnic Mongolians, who make up less than 20 percent of the roughly 24 million population of Inner Mongolia, have long complained that their traditional grazing lands have been ruined by mining and desertification, and that the government has marginalized their culture and language. The government says it is committed to offering ethnic Mongolians a high degree of autonomy, but has show no sign of loosening its grip on the resource-rich, strategically located region, which borders Russia and Mongolia. —Reuters

Villagers hold memorial in nuke plant’s shadow We cannot even imagine when this crisis will end: Watanabe

HANOI: Vietnamese anti-China protesters shout anti-China slogans while marching in downtown Hanoi during an anti-China rally yesterday. — AFP

Vietnamese hold anti-China protest following crackdown HANO: Police in Vietnam allowed up to 300 peaceful anti-Chinese protesters to march in central Hanoi yesterday after their suppression of earlier rallies sparked anger on the Internet. It was the eighth consecutive Sunday that protesters have gathered for an unprecedented series of rallies over tensions in the South China Sea. Authorities tolerated the first five small protests near the Chinese embassy, but then forcibly dispersed two demonstrations and briefly detained people after talks between Hanoi and Beijing in June.

Yesterday’s protest took place at a different location, around Hoan Kiem lake, which is a popular meeting place for Hanoi residents and foreign tourists.

Overtly political demonstrations are rare in Vietnam, despite fairly frequent protests in the form of land-rights rallies and strikes by factory workers. Some demonstrators wore T-shirts objecting to China’s maritime claim to essentially all of the South China Sea, called the “East Sea” in Vietnam. “I want to send a message to China that they stop doing bad things with our country,” said Nguyen Quang Thach, 36, who has attended all the rallies.

Vietnam and China have a longstanding dispute over sovereignty of the potentially oil-rich Paracel and Spratly island groups, which straddle vital commercial shipping lanes in the South China Sea. Tensions flared in May when Vietnam said Chinese marine surveillance vessels cut the exploration cables of an oil survey ship inside the country’s exclusive economic zone. Vietnamese bitterly recall

1,000 years of Chinese occupation and, more recently, a 1979 border war. More than 70 Vietnamese sailors were killed in 1988 when the two sides battled off the Spratlys.

Protesters chanted that the Paracels and Spratlys belong to Vietnam, and carried signs naming military personnel who died in previous clashes with Vietnam’s giant neighbour. At least one man held a picture which allegedly showed a policeman stomping on a demonstrator when officers broke up a similar rally a week earlier. Video of the alleged incident was posted on the Internet, where independent Vietnamese blogs and opinion flourish despite the arrests of some bloggers.

All official media are state controlled.

Protesters had vowed to appeal to the communist-controlled National Assembly, asking it to pass legislation governing demonstrations, if police acted against the latest rally.

“Beating patriots whose only crime is expressing their patriotism against foreign invasion must be seriously and publicly punished,” Nguyen Ngoc, a writer, said on the Nguyen Xuan Dien blog, which has become a rallying point for the protesters, many of whom are respected senior intellectuals. Police made no attempt to stop the orderly demonstrators who marched on the sidewalk around Hoan Kiem lake for about two hours before dispersing. Another claimant to the Spratlys, the Philippines, has complained this year of Chinese aggression in the disputed waters, where Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have claims.. — AFP

OKUMA: Under tight government supervision, dozens of villagers from a town where the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant is located ventured deep into an irradiated no-man’s land yesterday to hold a belated memorial for friends and relatives killed by Japan’s earthquake and tsunami.

They found that their town evacuated for more than four months - is fast becoming a wilderness. “There is nothing left but debris and empty streets,” said Norio Kimura, a villager who lost his father, wife and a daughter in the disaster. With no one left behind to care for them, cattle roam the streets. Tall grass has grown out of rice paddies and meadow flowers bloom in farms.

Weeds have grown knee-high out of cracks in the streets.

Wearing full-body protective gear and white face masks because of the continued risk of radiation exposure, the families bowed their heads in silence before a shattered public hall as a Buddhist priest chanted sutras and burned incense for the dead.

Their village, Okuma, is where four of the crippled nuclear plant’s six reactors are located.

The priest also wore a radiation suit underneath his purple robes.

“Many of us are still living in difficult circumstances. We cannot yet even imagine when this crisis will end,” said Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe. “But those of us left behind must carry on. May our dead rest in peace, and may this crisis end soon.”

The residents were brought in on government-chartered buses, allowed to stay less than one hour and then screened for radioactive contamination.

FUKUSHIMA: Former residents of the town of Okuma near the stricken Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant wipe away tears during a memorial service for the victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami at Okuma in Fukushima prefecture. — AFP Okuma had several thousand residents before the March 11 tsunami, but it has been completely evacuated because of the ongoing crisis at the plant, which has suffered meltdowns, explosions and fires.

Though other villages farther away from the plant have held memorials, this is the first time that Okuma residents have been allowed into the 12-mile (20-kilometer) evacuation zone to do so.

All told, about 23,000 died or

were left missing across wide swaths of Japan’s northeast coastline. Another 80,000 have been forced to evacuate their homes because of the radiation threat from Fukushima Dai-ichi. Though their village has been deemed unsafe due to the radiation, only 11 Okuma villagers have been confirmed dead and one Kimura’s daughter - is still missing. Search and rescue missions were severely hampered by the dangers of operating near the

3rd Thai army helicopter crash leaves 3 dead

Protest ahead of Australia, Malaysia immigration deal SYDNEY: Demonstrators marched to an Australian immigration detention centre yesterday to protest a planned deal with Malaysia, under which hundreds of boatpeople will be removed to the Asian nation. The Australian government is expected to this week ink a deal in Kuala Lumpur under which Malaysia will take 800 asylum seekers who have arrived in Australia by boat in exchange for the resettlement of 4,000 of their refugees. Home Affairs Minister Brendan O’Connor said negotiations were in the final stages, and the deal represented “an historic and innovative approach” to undermining the people-smugglers’ business model.

“We want to treat people fairly,” he told ABC Television, but refused to confirm a report that those shipped to Malaysia would be allowed to work. The report in the Sun-Herald said that the agreement, the details of which have not been released, would give the 800 asylum seekers a legal right to employment in Malaysia.

“These guys will have a recognised ability to work,” an unnamed source told the paper. The proposed deal, which has drawn criticism because Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN convention on refugees, is part of Canberra’s push to develop a regional solution to people smuggling.

About 200 people protested the impending agreement outside Sydney ’s Villawood immigration detention centre yesterday. “We’re

here to say ‘no’ to the Malaysia solution,” Ian Rintoul from the Refugee Action Coalition said. “It’s going to violate the human rights of the 800 asylum seekers coming here.”

O’Connor said the deal is designed to stop people risking their lives trying to get to Australia by boat, and since it was announced in early May, there had been a “very significant decline” in asylum seekers making the journey.”Five hundred or so people have arrived, compared with what would have been 1,700 in the same period last year,” he said. “So we are already seeing, I think, impacts as a result of the announcement.”

The deal comes as Canberra, which has a policy of mandatory detention for asylum seekers until their claim for refugee status is resolved, is facing rising tensions in some of its detention centres over the processing of claims. The immigration department said yesterday about 60 inmates were taking part in a peaceful protest at the Scherger detention centre in Queensland, with about 50 of these engaged in voluntar y star vation.

Refugee activists said one asylum seeker protesting at Scherger had cut his throat Saturday while another had cut his arm. Pamela Curr from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said Saturday some of he men had been in detention for 22 months, “sitting and waiting quietly” but they had now lost hope and had resorted to action.—AFP

nuclear plant and most of Okuma’s victims were found just recently. Officials say the situation at the Fukushima plant is improving and has stabilized somewhat.

But it remains unclear if villages like Okuma will ever be habitable again. “I want to return someday,” said Kimura. “But I worry about the safety of my family if I did. Realistically, I imagine it will be 10 or 20 years before it will be safe. But I want to come home someday.” — AP

BALI: Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, right, meets with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during a Joint Commission meeting between the two countries at the Ayodhya Hotel in Nusa Dua. — AP

Clinton says more needed on South China Sea disputes NUSA DUA: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said yesterday that China and Southeast Asia must urgently finalize a code of conduct for the South China Sea, a potentially oil-rich region. “We think that it was an important first step but only a first step,” Clinton told reporters after Beijing and members of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed last week to work toward a new mechanism for resolving disputes.

“We ... urge that ASEAN move quickly, I would even add urgently, to achieve a code of conduct that will avoid any problems in the vital sea lanes and territorial waters of the South China Sea.” China is at odds with many of its southern neighbors over competing claims to vast swathes of the South China Sea, and Clinton said all sides needed to do more to head off what tensions in a region traversed by anything from one-third to onehalf of global trade.

“All of us have a stake in ensuring that these disputes don’t get out of control,” Clinton said during an appearance with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. “In fact the numbers have been increasing: of intimidation actions, of

rammings, of cutting of cables ... the kinds of things that will raise the costs of doing business for everyone.” The preliminary deal between China and ASEAN was the highlight of this year’s ASEAN Regional Forum, and Clinton said it represented real progress from last year’s meeting which was marred by sharp words between Beijing and some of the rival ASEAN nations with South China Sea claims.

China, Taiwan, and four ASEAN members-the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam-all claim slices of the South China Sea, while Washington has irritated Beijing by declaring it also has a national interest at stake in ensuring freedom of navigation and trade. Clinton on Saturday urged countries to produce legal evidence for their territorial claims, a challenge to Beijing which says it has had undisputable sovereignty over large parts of the South China Sea since ancient times. Natalegawa said Indonesia, the current chair of ASEAN, would press for more concrete progress on resolving the issue peacefully, calling Thursday’s preliminary deal “a good sign.”

“The key thought here is that we must make sure that this is not the end of the line,” he said. — Reuters

BANGKOK: Three military men were killed and a fourth injured yesterday in the third fatal Thai army helicopter crash in little over a week, a force spokesman said. The Bell 212 chopper-part of the rescue mission following another helicopter crash on Tuesday-went down in Phetchaburi province, southwest of the capital Bangkok, bringing the death toll from the three incidents to 17. “There were two pilots and two army technicians on board. One was injured and three were k illed,” Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told AFP. Thai television news channels showed aerial shots of the flaming wreckage, in the same jungle-heavy province that witnessed the previous tragedies.

The aircraf t, which was travelling from Bangkok to a task force base in Phetchaburi, had on Saturday transported bodies from a Black Hawk helicopter crash on Tuesday, in which nine people were killed. The victims were eight military personnel and a television cameraman from army-run Channel 5. The Black Hawk was found in dense forest just across the border in Myanmar on Friday morning, three days after it disappeared during a mission to recover the bodies of five soldiers killed in a helicopter accident on July 16. Outgoing premier Abhisit Vejjajiva has said the twin tragedies had a “great impac t ” on army morale, while a piece in English-language The Nation newspaper yesterday said they had “cast a veil of gloom over the country”.

Following the third accident yesterday morning, army chief General Prayut Chan-O-Cha said that air missions came with added risk, but insisted safety had been a priority.”The first two accidents were caused by bad weather and the third one we presume was an engine problem, but we will wait for an investigation,” he said on Channel 3. In the first crash, a Huey helicopter went down in bad weather during a mission to airlift troops from the remote jungle area. It had been sent to collect about 35 soldiers who had been on patrol in the park as part of measures to combat deforestation. —AFP

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Car bomb kills 9 Yemen troops Continued from Page 1 One soldier said the attack was by a suicide bomber whose pickup truck exploded as two personnel carriers were exiting the facility, with the first military vehicle bearing the full brunt of the blast.

Another soldier said that troops were preparing to leave for Abyan when the vehicle had come “in front of the gate of the camp, and then there was a huge explosion”. A lieutenant colonel was among those

killed, according to a medic.

Militants belonging to a group called the “Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law), which has been linked to Al-Qaeda, took over much of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, in May. Thousands of people have been displaced by fighting in Zinjibar between security forces and the militants. Yemen’s Deputy Information Minister Abdo Al-Janadi said on Thursday that the United States had provided logistical support to the Yemen military’s 25th

Mechanised Brigade, which was until recently besieged by the militants in Zinjibar.

US commanders have repeatedly expressed concern that the jihadists have been taking advantage of a protracted power vacuum in Sanaa to expand their operations. Since Januar y, protesters have been demanding the ouster of veteran President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in hospital in Saudi Arabia since early June for wounds sustained in a blast at his palace. — AFP

Norway mourns victims of anti-Islam...

Continued from Page 1 Police said Breivik surrendered when they arrived on the small island of Utoeya in a lake northwest of Oslo after he had shot dead at least 85 people, mostly young people attending a summer camp of the youth wing of Norway’s ruling Labour Party. About 650 people were on the island when Breivik, wearing a police uniform, opened fire. Police said it took them an hour from when they were first alerted to stop the massacre, the worst by a single gunman in modern times. An inadequate boat and a decision to await a special armed unit from Oslo, 45 km away, delayed the response. “When so many people and equipment were put into it, the boat started to take on water, so that the motor stopped,” said Erik Berga, police operations chief in Buskerud County. A person wounded in the shooting died in hospital, raising the death toll to 93, Norway’s NRK television said. Police say some people remain missing. Ninety-seven people were wounded.

Breivik posted a 1,500-page anti-Islamic manifesto, written in English, on Friday, describing his violent philosophy and how he planned his onslaught and made explosives. The killings would draw attention to the manifesto entitled “2083-A European Declaration of Independence”, Breivik wrote. “Once you decide to strike, it is better to kill too many than not enough, or you risk reducing the desired ideological impact of the strike,” he added.

The manifesto posted by Breivik, a self-styled founder member of a modern Knights Templar organisation, hints at a wider conspiracy of self-appointed crusaders and shows a mind influenced by the fantasy imagery of online gaming. “The order is to serve as an armed Indigenous Rights Organisation and as a Crusader Movement (anti-Jihad movement),” he writes in the document, chunks of which are cut and pasted from other far-right, anti-Islam documents on the Internet.

Breivik says he is not against immigrants who integrate and reserves a lot of his fury for a liberal European political establishment he views as promoting Europe’s destruction. He hints at a wider conspiracy in the document, saying that the Knights Templar, a medieval order of crusading warrior monks, had been reconstituted in London in 2002. Breivik attacks the “Islamic colonisation and Islamisation of Western Europe” and the “rise of cultural Marxism/multiculturalism”. A video posted on YouTube called “Knights Templar 2083” showed pictures of Breivik, including one of him in a scuba diving outfit pointing an automatic weapon.

Norway has long been open to immigration, which has been criticised by the populist Progress Party, to which Breivik once belonged. Labour, whose youth camp he attacked, backs multiculturalism to accommodate different ethnic communities. “Norway will keep going. But there will be a Norway before and after the dramatic attacks on Friday,” Stoltenberg said. “But I am quite sure that you will also recognise Norway afterwards - it will be an open Norway, a democratic Norway and a Norway where we take care of each other.”

Some analysts questioned whether Norway, focused on Al-Qaeda-type militancy, had overlooked domestic threats. “While the main terrorist threat to democratic societies around the world still comes from Islamist extremists, the horrific events in Norway are a reminder

that white far-right extremism is also a major and possibly growing threat,” said James Brandon, research head at London’s Quilliam think-tank. Home-grown anti-government figures have struck elsewhere, notably in the United States, where Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people with a truck bomb in Oklahoma City in 1995.

Grief was still raw for survivors and relatives clustered at a hotel in Sundvollen near Utoeya island. They huddled together, many with bloodshot eyes, at terrace tables. Inside, a board gave contact details for priests and imams. Pinned to the board was a poem that begins: “Today, today it’s not the same. Our shining lights snuffed in out in shame”.

Meanwhile, some of Britain’s mosques are adding extra security in the wake of the deadly Norway attacks, Muslim community leaders said yesterday. In recent weeks, a pig’s head was left at a mosque outside of Oxford, while there have been repeated attacks on women wearing headscarves and full-face coverings, said Mohammed Shafiq of the Ramadhan Foundation, one of Britain’s largest Muslim organizations. Muslim groups say they have long warned Britain’s police of increasing hostility from far-right groups. “People are looking over their shoulders and afraid that we will be the next target,” Shafiq told AP in a telephone interview from the sidelines of an international gathering of Muslim scholars and leaders yesterday. “As a result, we’ve told people to be extra vigilant and there will be added security placed at mosques.”

Shafiq said security discussions were under way with police in Manchester, home to many of Britain’s nearly 2 million Muslims. Thousands will be gathering at mosques this week ahead of Ramadan, the fasting month that begins at the end of the month. Manchester police would not immediately confirm the talks. Britain’s Muslims have seen an increase in attacks since 2005, when homegrown suicide bombers killed 52 people during morning rush-hour attacks in London.

Since the suicide bombings, and in the wake of the Sept 11 terror attacks in the United States, more resources have been dedicated to fighting Islamic terrorism instead of far right or leftist extremism. As a result, Britain’s police have been left to track activity while Britain’s domestic spy agency of MI5 has focused on serious national security threats. “We take the threat of domestic extremism very seriously,” a spokesman for Scotland Yard said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about police operations.

“The U.K. police force gathers intelligence and information on a number of groups, but we do not discuss individual groups.”

The English Defense League, meanwhile, released a statement yesterday distancing itself from Breivik. The group opposes what it calls the spread of Islam.

“Terrorism and extremism of any kind is never acceptable and we pride ourselves on opposing these,” the statement said. “We strongly oppose extremism and always reject any suggestion of us being either extremists or far-right, due to our great past record of dealing with anyone who holds such extremist views.” “We’ve always warned British authorities that they should not just focus on extremists from Muslim communities and that they also needed to tackle far-right extremists,” Shafiq said. “It’s because of this failure that far right groups have gained ground.” — Agencies

NOGI, Japan: A girl on her father’s shoulders looks through a maze of sunflowers growing in a field during a three-day sunflower festival in this town in Tochigi prefecture yesterday. A total of some 200,000 sunflowers welcomed guests for the summer festival, an annual draw for the small town. — AFP

Iran blames US, Israel for scientist’s killing TEHRAN: Iran yesterday accused arch-foes the United States and Israel of masterminding the assassination of a scientist in Tehran, Dariush RezaeiNejad, who was reportedly associated with the defence ministry. “The American-Zionist terrorist act yesterday against one of the country’s scientists is yet another sign of the Americans’ degree of animosity,” speaker Ali Larijani told parliament yesterday. “America must think carefully about the consequences of such actions,” he said, urging Iran’s security forces to give a “stronger response to such evil moves”.

But Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency that no signs had been found so far to suggest that foreign intelligence services were behind the murder. “What is certain is that Dariush Rezaie-Nejad was not involved in the nuclear issue. His assassination is ambiguous and we are examining it,” Moslehi said.

“Operations by foreign intelligence services generally leave signs, but we have not found any signs in this terrorist act and we have not reached any conclusion on whether foreign intelligence services are behind it,” he added.

Assailants riding a motorcycle shot dead Rezaei-Nejad, 35, in the capital on Saturday evening, according to the Iranian media which originally reported he was a nuclear scientist working for the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran. But yesterday, the media stopped referring to him as a nuclear expert without giving an explanation, and presented him as an “electronics master’s student” at Tehran’s Khajeh Nassir University. The Fars news agency suggested that the media had made a mistake in reporting RezaeiNejad’s speciality, and insisted that he had links with the defence ministry, without giving details.

But higher education deputy minister Mohammad Mehdinejad Nouri told the Mehr news agency that the

TEHRAN: Relatives and friends mourn over the coffin of Dariush Rezaei-Nejad, shown in the picture on the coffin, in a funeral ceremony yesterday.— AFP Several Iranian nuclear scientists victim “was not a member of the defence ministry” and suggested that have disappeared in recent years or he may have collaborated on a proj- been targeted in attacks the Islamic ect the ministry contracted to Khajeh republic has blamed on the United Nassir University. According to reports States and Israel, which suspect yesterday, Rezaei-Nejad was shot five Tehran’s atomic program masks a times by unknown assailants as he nuclear weapons drive. Tehran denies and his wife were waiting for their the charges, insisting that its atomic child in front of a kindergarten in program is entirely peaceful. Iran is Tehran. His wife was injured in the currently under four sets of UN Security Council sanctions over its attack.

Tehran governor Morteza refusal to suspend uranium enrichTamaddon said at Rezaei-Nejad’s ment. The US and the 27-member funeral that the assassination “was European Union have also imposed without a doubt part of a project to other unilateral punitive measures discourage the Iranian nation from against Tehran.

The Islamic republic, however, the path of (progress) it was pursuing”, Mehr reported. Tamaddon linked remains adamant that it will push the murder to those who last year ahead with its controversial enrichkilled two top physicists working on ment activities, which can produce Iran’s controversial nuclear program, either fuel for a nuclear reactor or the Masoud Ali Mohammadi and Majid fissile material for an atomic warhead.

Shahriari. “Nuclear energy is our “In the field of scientific jihad, the undeniable right,” chanted the crowd blood of martyrs will allow Iran to attending the funeral, according to continue its path”, Tamaddon said yesFars. A statement signed by 200 law- terday. In Israel, there was no formal makers condemned what they called reaction to the allegation but an offi“the cowardly actions of America and cial said such charges were “routine”. the Zionist regime against the Islamic “Iran routinely accuses Israel of all republic,” particularly the “murder of sorts of things,” he told AFP on condition of anonymity. — AFP an Iranian scientist”.

Army tightens screws on Homs Continued from Page 1

OSLO: A girl burst into tears as she stands in front of a flower tributes to the victims of the July 22 bomb attack on government offices and shooting spree at a Labour party youth camp yesterday outside the Domkirken church. — AFP

They have accused the regime of sowing sectarian strife among the city’s Christians, Sunni Muslims and Assad’s Alawite minority community. Residents of Homs observed a strike on Saturday while the army encircled the city, cutting off its water and electricity.

Syria’s third-largest city, Homs has spearheaded demonstrations against Assad and his regime since protests erupted on March 15. The army had already entered the city in May in a bid to stop rallies calling for the fall of the regime, and launched a new operation backed by security forces earlier this week. The crackdown on dissent prompted condemnations on Friday from France and Britain as UN officials spoke of the possibility of crimes against humanity being committed in Syria since mid-March.

In Damascus, security forces arrested hundreds of people in an operation targeting the neighbourhoods of Qabun and Rukneddin, which has a mostly Kurdish population, Rihawi told AFP in Nicosia by phone. “Army units set up roadblocks on routes into Qabun, controlling all entry and exit,” he said, adding that they had lists of wanted people. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said: “Soldiers armed with automatic rifles are deployed at the main routes into Qabun and in front of mosques.

“The security forces also searched homes looking for weapons, and made some arrests,” he said, adding that they ransacked homes but emerged empty-handed.

More than 15 people were arrested in the town of Sarakeb in the Idlib countryside, Abdel Rahman told AFP in Nicosia by phone. “Army units who are deployed on the outskirts of the town opened fire to disperse the res-

idents of Sarakeb who had gathered to cut off the highway that links Aleppo to Damascus,” he said. The residents wanted to protest against the security crackdown in Sarakeb, which has witnessed almost daily anti-government demonstrations, he said. “The security forces reopened the highway and then made arrests in the town, rounding up more than 15 people,” Abdel Rahman added.

Forty-eight hours after Friday’s massive anti-regime protests in the eastern oil hub of Deir Ezzor, Assad dismissed the regional governor, the official SANA news agency reported yesterday. He issued a decree appointing Samir Othman Al-Sheikh to replace Hussein Arnoos as governor, the agency said. More than 1.2 million Syrians demonstrated in Deir Ezzor city and in Hama in the north, on Friday, according to Abdel Rahman. “More than 1.2 million people marched: in Deir Ezzor there were more than 550,000, and in Hama more than 650,000,” he said.

Earlier in July, Assad replaced the governor of Hama after 500,000 protesters rallied in the opposition bastion calling for the fall of the regime. Deir Ezzor and Hama have been rallying points for pro-democracy protests since mid-March, and Hama has a bloody past. In 1982 an estimated 20,000 people were killed there when the army put down an Islamist revolt against the rule of Assad’s late father, Hafez Al-Assad. According to the Syrian Observatory, 1,483 civilians are now confirmed dead in the government’s crackdown on dissent since mid-March. The violence also claimed the lives of 365 troops and security forces. In that time, at least 12,000 people have been arrested and thousands have fled to neighbouring Turkey and Lebanon, according to rights groups. — AFP

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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

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Issues

Focus on Islamists let other extremists go under radar

By Rita Devlin Marier ecurity services in Norway and elsewhere in the region had recently shifted their focus to Islamist extremism, letting other forms of terror slip under the radar, experts said. While there had been initial fears that Friday’s twin attacks might have been an act of revenge for Norway’s participation in the campaigns in Afghanistan and Libya, everything changed when it emerged the suspect was a native Norwegian.

Named by media as Anders Behring Breivik, the alleged killer has been described by police as a “fundamentalist Christian” whose political opinions leaned “to the right.” He had also been a member of the populist right-wing Progress Party (FrP) and was a member of a Swedish neo-Nazi Internet forum.

For some, the suspect is an example of far-right extremism, which has got less attention while intelligence agencies concentrated on radical Islam. For others, such as Daniel Poohl of Sweden’s Expo foundation, a leading group in monitoring far-right activity across Scandinavia, he is representative of a new kind of terrorism fuelled by anti-Muslim sentiment. The manifesto Behring Breivik posted online showed his act was prompted by a hatred of Islam, Poohl told AFP, and in that respect he differs from extremists in violent farright groups.

In a report published earlier this year, Norway’s intelligence agency said that far-right extremists existed in Norway, but that they had “barely been active in recent years”. “However, the trend that saw an increased level of activity in 2010 is expected to continue in 2011,” the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST)’s annual threat assessment report read. But the PST noted that “as in previous years, the far-right and far-left extremist communities will not represent a serious threat to Norwegian society in 2011”. “The lack of strong leadership limits the growth of these groups,” it said. Instead, it said it was “primarily” Islamist extremists “who could pose a direct threat to Norway in the year ahead”.

Robert Oerell of Sweden’s Exit foundation, which helps those who wish to leave nationalist, racist and Nazi-oriented groups and movements, said that the focus on Islamist radicals had favoured far-right extremists. “It justifies their perception that the Nordic people are under threat from Islamists,” he told news agency T T. Matthew Goodwin, a lecturer at the University of Nottingham in England and an expert on far-right groups, agreed that the focus on Islamist extremism had let other extremists go neglected. “For the past decade our (British) security services have been heavily geared towards Al-Qaeda and Northern Ireland, which has left a real gap in their coverage of the far-right,” he told AFP. “Scandinavian countries have also been involved in Afghanistan and Iraq and their security services have the same problem,” he said.

Oerell said he was surprised by the twin bomb and gun attacks, which killed at least 92 people, including 85 shot dead at a summer youth camp organised by the ruling Labour Party. “My understanding of the Norwegian movements is that they are not as organised or large as the Swedish ones, which have more capacity for violence, so from that point of view I am surprised,” he told AFP. “On the other hand, I am not surprised that, according to the information I have, a single person acted on their own, and then we can recall Timothy McVeigh case, whose example has mobilised such people in the extreme right movements before,” he said. “Timothy McVeigh is still seen by some groups in the US as a hero,” agreed Goodwin.

“As soon as I heard about Norway I thought this would be the far-right, so on that level it is not a surprise. I would not necessarily say it was brewing but we have seen a few trends pointing towards it,” he told AFP. Expo said Saturday Behring Breivik was a member of a 22,000-strong Swedish Nazi Internet forum called Nordisk. The forum includes posts inciting to violence and threads on the Turner Diaries, a 1978 novel about a violent revolution in the United States which inspired McVeigh’s 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, according to Expo. Discussions on the site website are “often of a racist nature,” Expo said, and range “from everything from white power music to political strategies to crush democracy,” Expo said. The attacks on Friday afternoon were western Europe’s deadliest since the 2004 Madrid bombings, carried out by AlQaeda. — AFP

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Washington Watch

What is at stake in Syria

By Dr James Zogby n July of 2002, I was in Damascus, Syria, having been invited by the US Embassy to deliver an address at the university. I was delighted that the auditorium was full, but a touch nervous since I had chosen to speak on the challenges facing the country. I had learned from Daniel Berrigan, a hero and mentor, to always try to “give an audience what they need to hear, not what they want to hear”. And so I focused my remarks on the proposition that Syria needed to open up its political system allowing its young the chance to freely participate in shaping the future of their country.

I added that Syria needed to open up its economy so that the entrepreneurial spirit of its business community could better compete and flourish in the world marketplace. If the government did not create that open space, I cautioned, the country might lose its young, and its economy would continue to stagnate.

As I looked out over the auditorium, I noticed that the students in the back of the room were nodding in approval. Faculty members, seated in the middle rows, were also nodding in agreement, as were the ministers and officials in the front rows. With so much agreement, why didn’t change occur? Quite simply, it was because for decades a rigid and stale political apparatus ruled Syria with an iron hand, setting limits to allowable discourse, using fear to govern.

The mass popular upheavals that have rocked Syria for months now make it clear that the fear is gone and the country has reached a turning point. Whether Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was right in her initial comment that the regime “has lost legitimacy” or in the Administration’s later fall-back position that it is “losing legitimacy”, there can be no doubt that change is in the air. But what kind of change, and at what cost? From the size and the geographic spread of the demonstrations it is clear that huge numbers of Syrians want the regime to go and many want a more open and free society. That they no longer fear the brute force of the state is self-evident. As the violence continues, the resistance continues to grow and, quite remarkably, has

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remained largely non-violent.

But what is also evident, is that large numbers of Syrians are afraid of change. The urban secular middle class and many of Syria’s minority religious communities are deeply concerned for their future and their safety. Christians, in particular, look next door to Iraq and see its dismembered and dispersed Christian communities and tremble in fear of the unknown. As a result, the regime in Damascus retains some degree of support from these other vulnerable groups in the country.

Because the regime has behaved so poorly over the past several months it has, indeed, lost legitimacy and trust. Over long decades of rule they have been corrupted by power and become ossified, focused solely on maintaining control and thuggish in their application of repressive violence. While, in the past, their repressive policies may have succeeded in silencing critics, that no longer appears to be the case. Now, their repression has only deepened the resolve and expanded the numbers of those who protest.

One prominent Lebanese leftist described the regime’s behavior as “committing suicide”. On the one hand, the authorities have feinted in the direction of creating a Syrian “perestroika”, announcing reforms (a new constitution, promising to free prisoners, ending travel restrictions against opposition figures, calling for a national dialogue, a multi-party system, etc.), while at the same time using lethal force and mass arrests against demonstrators, and positioning snipers and thugs to exact a deadly toll. As a result, there is little trust on the part of the opposition to take the regime up on its offers for dialogue and reform.

For their part, the opposition appears fragmented, without a clear direction or national program, and not yet representative of all segments of Syria’s complex society. Even supportive US officials suggest that this opposition, such as it is, “is not ready for prime time”.

There is serious concern that this drama is far from over, and may yet get worse. Syria is itself fragile, and it exists in an even more fragile neighborhood - with deeply divided Lebanon on one side and still volatile Iraq on the other; with Syria playing host to well over one mil-

lion Palestinian and Iraqi refugees, and home to a large disenfranchised Kurdish community; and with Turkey and Jordan concerned that the violence of a destabilized Syria might spill over their borders. If Syria goes well, the region may benefit from its new order. If it goes badly, there can be grave consequences all around. I once observed that Tunisia could be likened to the Arab Spring’s dress rehearsal, while Egypt was like taking the show to Broadway. Continuing the metaphor, it is Syria, not Yemen or Libya, that becomes the Arab Spring’s Hollywood - the ultimate test of whether this production will play well. Given what is at stake, Syria, its people, its opposition and its regime need help. The regime must be convinced that its selfdestructive behavior has left it no option but to change.

The opposition needs support and time to mature in order to become an effective and inclusive agent of change. And Syria’s people, including all of its minority and majority religious and ethnic communities, must receive assurance that the Syria of the future will include them all as equal citizens providing them the opportunity to freely participate in building their country together.

The only way forward is through national dialogue leading to a process of transition. Because of its penchant for control and violence, the regime has forfeited the right to lead this transformation. If they stop the violence, they, and the social forces they still represent, can participate. If they do not, the violence and the protests will continue, potentially spiraling downward, leading to chaos. An expanded regional contact group, which must include Arab participation, can play a critical role in working to convince the regime to abandon its self-destructive behavior, assisting the opposition, and facilitating the national dialogue. First, however, the violence must end, because what is at stake at this point is more than legitimacy. It is the future of the country, its people, and the stability of the entire region.

NOTE: James Zogby is the President of the Arab American Institute.

‘Rising’ India still reluctant to lead

By Ammu Kannampilly US challenge to India to take a more assertive role on the global stage runs counter to a decades-old foreign policy that has nearly always valued diplomatic caution over strategic ambition. Since independence in 1947, India has sporadically flexed its diplomatic, economic and military muscles, but such instances have been largely restricted to its immediate neighbours. During her visit here last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it was time for India to wield its growing economic and political clout further outside its borders and help “shape the future” of the Asia region and beyond.

“This is not a time when any of us can afford to look inward at the expense of looking outward,” Clinton said. “This is a time to lead.”

While there is suspicion of what is widely seen as a US strategic imperative for India to become a counter-weight to China, many experts agree the time has come for the world’s largest democracy to make its voice heard more forcefully. This is especially true, they argue, if India wants to prove its credentials for securing a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. “The 1991 economic reforms and the 1998 nuclear tests transformed India’s place in the world. We must acknowledge that and speak out more often,” said Lalit Mansingh, a former foreign secretary and Indian ambassador to the United States.

All too often, India’s voice is muffled by the initiative-dampening nature of its complex coalition politics and a long non-interventionist tradition that is proving hard to shed.

Mansingh cited India’s lukewarm response to

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the pro-democracy movements that have convulsed the Arab world as an example of its preference for risk-averse diplomacy. “I think India should have been much more welcoming of the Arab Spring,” he said. “The fight against dictatorship is very much in line with our democratic traditions, but we prefer to wait and watch. It is the Indian way,” he added.

In a recent issue of Foreign Policy magazine, C Raja Mohan, a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, argued that while India was keen to “increase its weight in global governance” it would only

do so on its own terms and at its own pace.

“The United States wants to test whether India is a responsible stakeholder in negotiations on issues ranging from climate change to international trade,” Mohan said. “India is prepared to engage on these issues and participate more fully in global decision-making bodies on the basis of its own self-interest, but is not prepared to take tests from anyone,” he added.

Senior Indian civil servants remain fiercely protective of India’s long-held policy of noninterference in the internal affairs of other

File photo taken on July 19, 2011 shows US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi. — AFP

countries, insisting that it is a better guarantor of influence in the long term. “A passive approach is not necessarily a weak approach,” said one senior official. But the “self-interest” cited by Mohan is inevitably pushing India towards a more proactive stance, driven by the need to source raw materials for its energy-hungry economy and tap new consumers for its manufactured goods.

In both areas, it increasingly finds itself in competition with regional heavyweight China -already a permanent UN Security Council member and an intimidating military and economic power. China is mineral-rich Africa’s top trading partner, with bilateral trade totalling $126.9 billion last year, and has extended its influence into India’s immediate neighbourhood, notably in Sri Lanka and Nepal. “India has already ceded a lot of ground in Africa to China,” said Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, vice dean of the Jindal School of International Affairs, who stressed the need to invest more energy in building relationships, whether in Africa, Latin America, or Asia.

“India must realise that economic growth at home is not enough to win you influence.

Furthermore, with a slowdown in Europe and the US, it needs to think about where its markets will come from in the future,” he said. As for Clinton’s appeal, which was for a more general leadership on issues like human rights and the environment, Chaulia voiced frustration with India’s traditional wait-and-watch mindset. “India can and should be more willing to make its presence felt on issues that matter,” he said. “We need to contest the orthodoxy that says, ‘do as little as possible’”. — AFP

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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

analysis Focus

Malawi riots a warning to government

By Felix Mponda he deadly anti-government riots against President Bingu wa Mutharika in Malawi are a signal that public anger will not be silenced in this impoverished southern African nation, analysts say. The usually calm country exploded into two-day riots that killed 19 people after police tried to block anti-government protests accusing Mutharika of economic mismanagement and stifling human rights. “What we are seeing now has been bottled up but people expected is to see the state changing, said Malawi Human Rights Commission chair John Kapito. “Now there is a revolt. There is a message ringing out there that the people are not happy and Malawi is changing.”

Malawi has been independent for 47 years and the unrest is the worst since 1994 which saw the advent of democracy and an end to the three decade dictatorship of Kamuzu Banda. “The behaviour of the current leader is similar to that of the late Kamuzu Banda and I think he is reminding Malawians what we went through ... That’s why I think we are standing up,” said Kapito. Mutharika has faced growing anger over chronic fuel and foreign exchange shortages, refusing to listen to critics and reining in freedoms, prompting former colonial ruler Britain to cut aid days before the protest.

One newspaper Saturday urged his government to “wake up from its slumber” as the country took stock of the week’s bloodshed. “Malawians spoke with a loud and united voice last Wednesday and government would be fooling itself if it does not heed the issues raised,” wrote The Nation, calling for genuine dialogue. “After the emotional protests, the bloodshed and regrettable 18 deaths this week, one expects government to wake up from its slumber and acknowledge that the country is in serious problems.”

The upheaval follows other recent unrest in Africa such as deadly Uganda protests against fuel and food prices, pro-democracy protests in Africa’s last monarchy Swaziland, and Senegalese riots over electoral reforms seen as a succession-plan for the president’s son. Diminishing freedoms by Mutharika were symptomatic of a turnaround by some of the continent’s leaders to non-democratic practices, said Olmo von Meigenfeldt of African democracy think-tank IDASA. However Von Meigenfeldt said he hoped that African leaders would note that “citizens will not tolerate repressive and dictorial leadership forever. “I’m not saying that Malawi is repressive and dictorial per se but indeed there has been an infringement of freedoms, clearly, and people are responding to that.” There has been pressure on the Malawian government in the wake of the bloodshed from the United Nations and a review of a $350 million grant from the United States. —AFP

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In this April 15, 2011 photo taken through a bus window, a North Korean traffic police woman stands on the side of the stree in Pyongyang.

— AP photos

A member of a marching band (left) has her photo taken with a woman and young boy at an event to mark the birthday of Kim Il Sung at a park in Pyongyang.

A glimpse into daily lives of N Koreans

By Jean H Lee little boy skips along grasping a classmate’s hand, his cheeks flushed and a badge of the Great Leader’s smiling face pinned to his Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt. Men in military green share a joke over beers at a German-style pub next door to the Juche tower. Schoolgirls wearing the red scarves of the Young Pioneers sway in unison as they sing a classic Korean tune I, too, learned as a child.

Everywhere I look, communist North Korea is a world both foreign and familiar to my KoreanAmerican eyes, a place where the men wear Mao suits and children tote Mickey Mouse backpacks, where they call one another “comrade” and love their spicy kimchi.

Since becoming the Seoul bureau chief for AP in 2008, I have made five eye-opening visits to North Korea. Chief Asia photographer David Guttenfelder has traveled to the country numerous times over the past 12 years. We are among the few Western journalists who have been allowed into North Korea during a period of heightened tensions that began three years ago with the shooting death of a South Korean tourist. A parade of provocations has followed: a long-range rocket launch, a nuclear test, the sinking of a South Korean warship and a deadly artillery attack on a frontline island.

North Korea has come under financial sanctions again for its nuclear defiance and has been condemned for alleged human rights abuses. It also has turned inward, as Pyongyang maps out a sensitive succession plan for the nation’s next leader. The wariness in Pyongyang means most foreign journalists are taken on a brief and orchestrated trip through the showcase capital, with cell phones confiscated at the airport and minders shadowing every move.

This year, however, David and I have been granted unprecedented access as part of AP’s efforts to expand its coverage of North Korea. We traveled into the countryside, accompanied by North Korean journalists, not government minders. We had a cell phone, Internet access and a van with a driver who took us to Kaesong to the south, Mount Myohyang to the north and Nampho to the west.

During our wanderings, we got a glimpse of daily life in one of the most hidden nations in the world and found a country on the cusp of change. Some things are entirely foreign: the armed soldiers everywhere, their faces lean and tanned; the banners and posters painted with hammer, sickle and rifle exhorting people to help build the nation’s economy; the sense of paranoia that comes with wondering who is watching or listening to you.

Others are familiar: the tang of cold “raengmyon” noodles, the nursery rhymes children sing on both sides of the Demilitarized Zone, the quick, warm wit that emerges after a few rounds of liquor.

More than 60 years of socialism have not stamped out Korean tradition. Orchestras still play the folk tune “Arirang”, along with “The General is our Father”. And children learn about the filial piety of the fabled maiden Sim Chung, not just the feats of their late president. Much of what we see during our reporting trips is calculated to show the bright side of a nation suffering from chronic economic hardship.

North Korea’s economy produces an estimated $1,800 per person per annum, according to the US

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State Department, considerably less than the $30,000 in South Korea. The World Food Program says a quarter of North Korea’s 24 million people need food aid to keep from going hungry.

The poverty is not immediately visible in the modern metropolis of Pyongyang. We are led through gleaming hallways and cavernous, chandeliered lobbies by guides in sparkling gowns or neat military uniforms, speaking as though from a script. The hedges are trimmed, the begonias in bloom. But in between the staged visits, candid moments put a human face on a society enigmatic to the West, more complex and textured than typically portrayed. At Kim Il Sung Plaza, a determined young man in a blue suit scoots by on inline skates, his tie carefully pinned to his shirt, as a friend spins circles around him. At a cemetery up on the hill, we spot a bride in a billowing, embroidered red Korean gown, a white-and-pink spray of flowers tucked into her hair. Her groom, tall and handsome, wears a red boutonniere affixed to his officer’s uniform just beneath his Kim badge.

And, in an astonishing turn of events, we are invited to a brief-

with a bang.

Mountains frame the landscape; in between, every bit of land is furrowed and farmed. We see more oxen than tractors, more manual labor than machinery. Without running water in some parts, women crouch by a riverbed to wash clothes and draw water from a village well.

The land turns lush as we near Mount Myohyang, where we climb a hiking trail said to be one of Kim Jong Il’s favorites. The rugged landscape is largely untouched, aside from the massive odes to the two Kims carved into the side of the rock.

North Korea figures large in the Western imagination as a place frozen in a Cold War time warp even as allies Russia and China have embraced capitalism.

The government strives to maintain strict control over information, and people, coming in and out of the country. For outsiders granted a visa in a process that can feel as elusive as winning the lottery, the experience often is so stilted that they return home painting a picture of an Orwellian society.

Still, things are changing, if slowly. Two years ago, I flew into Pyongyang from China on a spot-

him: Kim Jong Un, Swiss-educated and said to be keen on computers and technology. Orascom also is said to be pumping money into the construction of the pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel, which rises 105 stories high and serves as a glistening backdrop to the towering bronze statue of Kim Il Sung on Mansu Hill. The concrete Ryugyong had stood abandoned for years, a reminder of Pyongyang’s decay, until the Egyptians stepped in to help amid the mad rush to get the city ready for the 100th anniversary celebrations next year of Kim Il Sung’s birth.

Buildings across Pyongyang are getting a facelift. Theaters are being refurbished, and apartment complexes repainted in pastel pinks and greens. There is more to come: restaurants, a park and “deluxe” twin tower apartments, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. On one corner, men with mallets were knocking down the walls of a building to the rousing blare of a military band parked on the sidewalk.

The amusement park near the Arch of Triumph got an overhaul last year, with brand-new rides from Italy and a hall filled with

Families have their photographs taken in front of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang. The palace, which was the official residence of Kim Il Sung until his death in 1994, is now a mausoleum where his embalmed body lies in state. ing at the grand People’s Cultural Palace, making us the first American reporters to cover a North Korean press conference, we are told. Journalists from the North Korean press corps snap open Compaq laptops and set up Sony video cameras, and portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il serve as the backdrop. Ten North Koreans repatriated after their fishing boat strayed into South Korean waters file into the room, the men in suits and the women in traditional Korean dresses. Tearful, emotional, they accuse the South Koreans of mistreatment. A question-andanswer session follows: The Pyongyang Times wants to know what happened to the four North Koreans, including the boat’s captain, who stayed behind in the South. A query from the state broadcaster prompts all 10 to rise to sing an ode to Kim Jong Il. When we leave the concrete jungle of Pyongyang, we encounter a completely different scene. The rush-rush pace of the big city comes to a halt, and we go from skyscrapers and granite monuments to hills denuded of the pine trees that once blanketed the region. Now I understand why the wind in North Korea is so fierce; with no trees to stop it, it whips straight across the peninsula and slams the window in my hotel room in Pyongyang shut

less but ancient Russian jet, a bumpy Air Koryo flight that had me gripping the armrests. Our flight’s arrival was displayed at the airport on a “flipper” board straight out of a 19th-century railway station. Now, the airliners are modern, with TV screens that drop down to show cartoons, musical concerts and North Korean films. And the old arrivals board is shuttered; instead, our flight appeared on a wide-screen electronic display rigged up beneath it. Electronic goods are hugely popular, and we could barely get past all the boxes of South Korean-made Samsung TVs that North Koreans were lugging back from their travels. Cell phones jangled everywhere.

David had to relinquish his iPhone upon arrival, standard practice for foreign visitors, but we later requested, and received, a Chinese -made Huawei cell phone. More than 535,000 people in North Korea now use cell phones, a huge jump from 70,000 in 2009, according to Orascom Telecom, the Cairo-based firm that launched North Korea’s 3G network in December 2008. Most can make only domestic calls.

The digital revolution comes amid a succession movement and a campaign to improve the economy. Last year, Kim Jong Il, now 69, unveiled to the world the son he is grooming to succeed

Japanese arcade games. Children race around. Grandmothers watch from the sidelines, tending to the babies. Two girls in Minnie Mouse shirts step gingerly onto rocks in a pond to pose for a photo, and then shriek as they nearly lose their balance. “Welcome!

Welcome!” a young couple calls out in English, waving to us to join them on the roller coaster.

Moments later, we are screaming in unison as the ride dips, flips and shoots around the rails at lightning speed.

Officially, North Koreans detest us Yankees. Tour guides, officials and soldiers state as fact that the South Koreans and the “miguk nom” - American bastards - started the Korean War in 1950.

But once you get away from the rhetoric, North Koreans love Americana, whether they realize the source or not. You see Mickey Mouse everywhere: on backpacks, shirts, bags. They know “The Lion King” and “Terminator.”

One orchestra played “Camptown Races,” perhaps as a welcome to the Americans in the audience.

I never thought I’d see an oompah band in North Korea, but there was an all-female troupe of tuba and trombone players in white suits and brass buttons led by majorettes twirling batons. John Philip Sousa, famous for composing patriotic American odes, would

roll over in his grave. Pyongyang’s foreign community is a small and select group of diplomats, aid workers, entrepreneurs and English teachers. Our hotel, on the other hand, was full of foreign visitors: Russian dancers and Italian singers in town for an arts festival, a French parliamentarian traveling with his son, Chinese tourists in sunglasses and sweatpants, American doctors in scrubs on a medical mission.

The common thinking is that North Koreans are shut off from the rest of the world. But Robert Carlin, a former US State Department official who has made dozens of trips to the country, once said it is the opposite: We know less about North Korea than they know about us. For years, Pyongyang has been subject to international sanctions for illicitly building nuclear bombs and long-range missiles. South Korea, reversing decades of warming ties, has largely cut off trade and aid, incensed by Pyongyang’s nuclear defiance and two attacks that killed 50 South Koreans last year.

The aim may be to isolate Pyongyang, but North Korea has neighboring China as its chief benefactor and protector. So much of North Korea is “made in China” these days, or perhaps passed along through China, from the BYD sedans to “Die Hard” DVDs. Foreign fashion is also seeping into Pyongyang.

While you still see women in traditional dress, they also are wearing pantsuits, platform shoes and polka-dotted wellies. They are getting perms and plastic surgery. Some would not look a bit out of place in Beijing, Bangkok or Seoul, apart from the red Kim Il Sung badges pinned to their bright, belted jackets.

We could be anywhere from Paris to Peoria, and maybe that is the point. The government seems determined to convince its people they can have all the riches of the West even if they’re not at peace with the West. It is difficult to tell whether they believe it. There is a self-restraint and self-censorship inevitable in a country so defined by rules and order. Criticism of North Korea‘s leaders is taboo, and questions that may seem innocent often are met with a beseeching look that begs: “Please don’t ask me that.”

Trust is earned only after many rounds of Korean wine and beer.

North Korea is a country in transition; you can see it on the streets. Most people walk or cycle to get around, and you still see trucks packed with people in the back. But new buses and more sedans and SUVs are filling the roads, from locally made Pyonghwa “Cuckoos” to imported Land Rovers and Toyotas.

Pyongyang now has traffic lights, though the iconic traffic ladies in turquoise blue remain ready to jump in, white gloves flashing, when the power cuts out.

One day, we got stuck in traffic along the Taedong River amid the rush of construction consuming downtown. Drivers leaped out of cars and buses to argue with two police officers trying to reroute traffic. Tempers flared. The drivers shook their fists, shouted and slammed their car doors. It was a sign that one of the endemic ills of modern life has reached North Korea: Road rage.

NOTE: Jean H Lee, The AP bureau chief in Seoul, and David Guttenfelder, AP’s chief Asia photographer, have made numerous reporting trips to North Korea in recent years. They were granted unprecedented access on their latest journey to Pyongyang and areas outside the nation’s showcase capital — AP

Egypt between democracy and autocracy

By Christophe de Roquefeuil ix months after the start of the uprising that toppled former strongman Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s transition is suspended between promised democracy and the fear of a return to authoritarianism in a different form. Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of the January 25 revolt, has once again become the epicentre of protests to demand that the page be turned on the old regime once and for all. The army, which took power after Mubarak’s ouster on february 11, went from hero to hate figure in a matter of months, accused of putting the brake on reforms and using Mubarak-era tactics to stifle dissent and maintain absolute power.

Dozens of former regime officials are currently on trial, including Mubarak and his two sons, but activists have accused the justice system of being slow and opaque.

The Jan 25 uprising succeeded in dissolving Mubarak’s National Democratic Party, whose tentacles stretched far and wide in politics and business. The party headquarters was burned during the uprising, and the ash-blackened building still stands in the centre of the capital as a reminder of the 18 days of demonstrations for change.

The revolt also paved the way for the birth of new parties and political groups, basking in new-found freedom. But no strong leader or party has yet emerged.

Parliamentary elections have been announced for autumn, but the Muslim Brotherhood appears to be the most organised group, and the old regime with its extensive networks could yet resurface in the provinces.

“It’s a revolution but without cadres, with no party, no leader, no precise ideology,” said political analyst Hassan Nafea.

“It’s a revolution that isn’t finished,” he told a FrancoEgyptian conference on post-revolt Egypt in the capital.

“We are in a transition period. We don’t see clearly what kind of regime is waiting for Egypt. We will still go through crises, deadlocks,” he said. For Ayman Nur, Mubarak’s main challenger in the 2005 presidential elections, the spectacular January uprising must not “hide Egypt’s strong resistance to change”. “The old regime constantly haunts us,” Nur told AFP. Like in 2005, “I am still facing Mubarak, because the system is anchored in this society,” said Nur, who plans once again to run for president.

The army and the government under its authority navigate between wanting to stabilise the country and the pressures from Tahrir, said Denis Bauchard, a Middle East expert at the Paris-based Institut Francais des Relations Internationales (IFRI).

The process of democratisation will be “long, complex, gradual and marred by turbulence,” he said in a study entitled “Unfinished Revolution.” Nonetheless, “from the uncertainty comes the feeling that nothing will be like before,” said Bauchard. “The January 25 revolution has liberated expression and opened the gates of dissent, not only on a political level but also on a social one,” he said.—AFP

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Tendulkar to miss out on ton LONDON: India great Sachin Tendulkar is unlikely to score his 100th international hundred in the first Test against England here at Lord’s after spending yesterday’s first two sessions off the field with a virus.

The length of his absence means Tendulkar, out for 34 in India’s first innings on Saturday, won’t be able to bat any higher than No 7, the fall of the fifth wicket, during the tourists’ second innings.

And that could scupper Tendulkar’s hopes both of scoring his 100th international hundred in this match-his 51 in Tests and 48 in one-dayers are both records-and his first Test century at Lord’s where his top score in eight knocks to date is a modest 37.

Under the playing conditions for this series, Law 2.1.2, which deals with substituted players, states: “The player shall not be permitted to bat unless or until, in the aggregate, he has returned to the field and/or his side’s innings has been in progress for at least that length of playing time for which he has been absent or, if earlier, when his side have lost five wickets.” — Reuters

Major League Baseball results and standings on Saturday: Chicago Cubs 5, Houston 1; Oakland 4, NY Yankees 3; Philadelphia 8, San Diego 6; Cincinnati 11, Atlanta 2; Minnesota 4, Detroit 1; Baltimore 3, LA Angels 2; St. Louis 9, Pittsburgh 1; Boston 3, Seattle 1; Florida 8, NY Mets 5; Kansas City 5, Tampa Bay 4 (10 innings); Texas 5, Toronto 4; Arizona 12, Colorado 3; San Francisco 4, Milwaukee 2; LA Dodgers 7, Washington 6.

Boston NY Yankees Tampa Bay Toronto Baltimore Detroit Cleveland C’ White Sox Minnesota Kansas City Texas LA Angels Oakland Seattle

Philadelphia Atlanta NY Mets Washington Florida St. Louis Milwaukee Pittsburgh Cincinnati Chicago Cubs Houston San Francisco Arizona Colorado LA Dodgers San Diego

GB 3 9.5 12.5 20.5 1 4.5 6 11 4 13.5 14.5

5 13.5 14.5 16 1 4 12.5 20 4 10 13.5 14

Lysenko bags national crown CHEBOKSARY: Women’s hammer thrower Tatiana Lysenko, back competing after serving a two year drugs ban, clinched her third national title at the Russian athletics championships here yesterday.

Lysenko limbered up for the August 27-September 4 world championships in Daegu, South Korea by clinching gold with a throw of 73.26 metres. In May, 2008, she was banned for two years after testing positive in an out-of-competition test for an anti-oestrogenic agent that can block female hormones.

She missed the Beijing Olympic Games and was stripped of her world record of 78.61m set in May 26, 2007. After yesterday’s win Lysenko said:

“After winning today I can say that my preparations for the world championships are going according to my plan.”

“I expect tough competition in Daegy and I hope I will manage to improve my performance for the start of the season’s main event.” Kirill Ikonnikov won the men’s hammer throw with 79.04m on the last day of the championships. Alexei Petrov, who clinched the silver medal at the junior European championships this year, managed to overcome injury to win the triple jump national title with a jump of 16.88m. Alsu Murtazina won the women’s triple jump in 14.55m. “I’m very happy both with my win and the result,” Murtazina said. — AFP

PHILADELPHIA: Michael Martinez hit a tiebreaking three-run homer and Chase Utley connected twice as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Diego Padres for the ninth straight time, 8-6 on Saturday.

Pinch-hitter Ryan Howard also went deep, hitting a tying solo shot off Chad Qualls that ignited a five-run seventh.

Michael Stutes (5-1) allowed one run in 1 1-3 innings in relief of Kyle Kendrick, and Ryan Madson finished for his 17th save in 18 chances.

Cameron Maybin and Chase Headley hit homers for the Padres, who haven’t beaten the Phillies since last June 7. They were swept by Philadelphia in a fourgame series in San Diego in April.

strong innings to earn his first win since April 4, and Geovany Soto added a solo shot and an RBI single in the eighth to lead Chicago to a victory over the major league-worst Houston.

Marlon Byrd also homered for the Cubs, who will try to win three in a row

BENDIGO: England’s Stuart Bingham came from behind to beat world number one Mark Williams in his first-ever final at the worldranking Australian Goldfields Snooker Open at Bendigo yesterday.

Bingham fought back from 8-5 down to win the last four frames and clinch a 9-8 victory in the best of 17-frame match. It topped an outstanding week for the 35-year-old from Essex who eliminated China’s Ding Junhui, a world championship semi-finalist this year, Tom Ford, Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy to reach his first final after 16 years as a professional.

Bingham, who beat defending champion Stephen Hendr y at the 2000 World Championships, slumped to 76 in the rankings before fighting his way back to his current position of 15. “Mark snookered me when I was eight frames to five down and I got out of it,” Bingham said. “My body language changed and I felt ‘come on this is it, this us your chance’.” Bingham, who won AUS$60,000 (65,000 dollars) for the inaugural Goldfields title, began with an opening break of 139, the best in the final. — AFP

in the seventh and has three in the past two games.

The Marlins trailed 2-0 when Emilio Bonifacio started their comeback with an infield single in the sixth. That extended his career-best hitting streak to 22 games, the longest active streak in the

Cardinals 9, Pirates 1 At Pittsburgh, Lance Berkman and Yadier Molina homered during St. Louis’ five-run fifth inning and Jaime Garcia won his 10th game as the Cardinals beat Pittsburgh for the second consecutive night.

A day after hitting three homers in a 15-hit barrage, St. Louis won its third straight by collecting 12 hits in assuring itself a win in what many in Pittsburgh were calling the biggest series in PNC Park’s 11-year history.

Reds 11, Braves 2 At Cincinnati, Edgar Renteria replaced injured rookie shortstop Zack Cozart and drove in three runs to rally Cincinnati to a victory over Atlanta.

Cozart hyperextended his left elbow while trying to make a tag in the fourth inning, getting Renteria off the bench.

His two-run double off Derek Lowe (68) started a three-run rally in the sixth inning that put the Reds ahead.

Brandon Phillips had a pair of runscoring doubles, and Todd Frazier doubled with the bases loaded as Cincinnati pulled away.

Cubs 5, Astros 1 At Chicago, Randy Wells pitched six

PHILADELPHIA: Phillies second baseman Chase Utley (left) fields the throw as San Diego Padres’ Cameron Maybin steals second in the seventh inning of a baseball game. —AP on Sunday for the first time this season.

The Astros have lost 14 of its last 18 road games and six straight overall. Wells (2-3) allowed one run on five hits. He struck out four and pitched around two walks.

Marlins 8, Mets 5 At Miami, Gaby Sanchez hit a pair of two-run homers as Florida broke a fourgame losing streak by rallying past New York.

Sanchez hit his 15th homer in the sixth inning to put the Marlins ahead for the first time since their homestand began Tuesday. He added another homer

Red Sox dump Mariners BOSTON: Josh Beckett pitched seven strong innings and Jacoby Ellsbury hit a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh as the Boston Red Sox beat Seattle 3-1 on Saturday, sending the Mariners to their club record-equaling 14th consecutive loss.

Terry Francona earned his 1,000th win as a major league manager, the 57th to reach that milestone, and the eighth still active. Boston moved a season-high three games ahead of the New York Yankees for the lead in the AL East. Meanwhile, the Mariners tied the 1992 team’s mark after loading the bases against Daniel Bard, but the reliever got out of the jam. Beckett (9-3) gave up seven hits, and the only run he allowed came on a homer by Mike Carp.

Royals 5, Rays 4 At Kansas City, Missouri, Joakim Soria worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 10th and Eric Hosmer doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the inning as Kansas City rallied for a victory over Tampa Bay. Brandon Gomes (0-1) threw two pitches in the 10th and took the loss. Billy Butler singled to right to lead off the inning. Mike Aviles ran for Butler and scored on Hosmer’s double to left-center.

The Rays loaded the bases in the 10th with none out, but failed to score. Rookie Aaron Crow, the Royals’ representative at the All-Star game, began the inning by walking Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton. He was replaced by Soria, who gave up a single to Matt Joyce to load the bases.

Athletics 4, Yankees 3 At New York, Hideki Matsui homered against his former team and Rich Harden earned his second win of the season as Oakland snapped an 11-game losing streak to New York. Andrew Bailey barely held on in the ninth inning, allowing a run before retiring Robinson Cano on an easy grounder with a runner on third to end it.

Josh Willingham hit a two-run homer off A.J. Burnett and Jemile Weeks had an RBI single for the A’s, who beat the Yankees for the first time since April 22, 2010, in Oakland.

Orioles 3, Angels 2 At Baltimore, Adam Jones homered and drove in two runs to back an effective pitching performance by Brad Bergesen and lead

Bingham wins first ranking title

Phillies roll past Padres

MLB results/standings

American League Eastern Division W L PCT 61 37 .622 58 40 .592 52 47 .525 50 51 .495 40 57 .412 Central Division 53 47 .530 51 47 .520 48 51 .485 47 53 .470 42 58 .420 Western Division 58 43 .574 54 47 .535 44 56 .440 43 57 .430 National League Eastern Division 63 36 .636 59 42 .584 50 50 .500 49 51 .490 48 53 .475 Central Division 53 47 .530 54 48 .529 51 47 .520 49 51 .490 41 60 .406 33 67 .330 Western Division 58 43 .574 54 47 .535 48 53 .475 44 56 .440 44 57 .436

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

BOSTON: Seattle Mariners’ Blake Beavan pitches in the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox . —AP Baltimore over Los Angles. Jones hit a solo shot in the fourth inning and put Baltimore ahead 3-2 in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. He has four homers and nine RBIs in his last eight games. JJ Hardy had three singles as part of a 13-hit attack that enabled the Orioles to win for only the fifth time in 22 games. Baltimore got at least one hit in every inning except the eighth but was victimized by four double plays.

Twins 4, Tigers 1 At Minneapolis, Scott Baker pitched five scoreless innings as the Minnesota bullpen came through with four solid innings of relief to snap Detroit’s 11 game winning streak over the Twins. Baker (8-5) allowed three hits and struck out five in his first start since July 5.

Anthony Swarzak, Phil Dumatrait and Glen Perkins bridged the gap to Joe Nathan, who picked up his seventh save. Danny Valencia homered and Delmon Young added a two-run double for the Twins, who had not beaten

Detroit since Sept. 1 of last year. Brad Penny (7-7) gave up four runs and seven hits in seven innings for the Tigers, who got two hits and an RBI from Miguel Cabrera but not much else on offense.

Rangers 5, Blue Jays 4 At Arlington, Texas, Michael Young drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning as Texas rallied for a victory over Toronto.

The Rangers trailed 4-3 when Mark Rzepczynski (2-3) walked pinch-hitter Mike Napoli leading off the ninth. Rzepczynski threw wide of first for an error on Mitch Moreland’s sacrifice bunt. Closer Jon Rauch came in, and the runners moved to second and third on Ian Kinsler’s bunt. Napoli scored on Elvis Andrus’ suicide-squeeze bunt to tie it at 4-4, and after Josh Hamilton was intentionally walked, pinch-runner Craig Gentry crossed the plate on Young’s drive over the head of right fielder Corey Patterson. AP

majors.

Bonifacio added a second infield hit, scored twice, robbed Angel Pagan of a hit with a nifty play at third base and tied a career high with his 21st stolen base.

Logan Morrison hit his 14th homer for Florida.

D’backs 12, Rockies 3 At Phoenix, Justin Upton and Miguel Montero combined to drive in 11 runs as Arizona routed Colorado. Josh Collmenter threw seven strong innings, had a pair of hits and added his first career RBI for the Diamondbacks, who

have won two of their past three.

Upton finished 3 for 5 with his second career grand slam and six RBIs while Montero had three hits and drove in five.

Collmenter (6-5) allowed three runs on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts to record his second consecutive win.

Troy Tulowitzki hit his team-leading 19th home run and Ty Wigginton added a two-run single for the Rockies, who have lost two of three.

Dodgers 7, National 6 At Los Angeles, Rafael Furcal hit an RBI double with one out in the ninth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from an early four-run deficit to beat Washington.

Rod Barajas led off the ninth with a single against Ryan Mattheus (2-2) and was forced at second when catcher Wilson Ramos jumped on Trent Oeltjen’s attempted sacrifice bunt and made a one -hop throw that shortstop Ian Desmond dug out of the dirt with his foot on the bag. But Jamey Carroll singled and Furcal drove a 2-0 to the gap in left-center to bring home Oeltjen.

Dodgers rookie closer Javy Guerra (2-0) pitched one inning for the victory.

Giants 4, Brewers 2 At San Francisco, Ryan Vogelsong labored through five innings to regain the National League’s best ERA, five relievers finished with four scoreless innings and the San Francisco Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers.

Vogelsong (8-1) allowed two runs on seven hits in one of his least spectacular outings of the season, finding yet another way to win. The journeyman All-Star notched enough innings for his 2.10 ERA to qualify for the lowest in the league again. Nate Schierholtz drove in two runs and Aubrey Huff delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth. Brian Wilson pitched the ninth for his 30th save. —AP

Springboks scramble for positives after defeat SYDNEY: Matters have reached a pretty sorry state when the biggest positive a Springboks captain can take out of a 39-20 defeat to Australia is that the scoreline could have been “uglier”.

That was, however, the normally upbeat John Smit’s take after his weakened and inexperienced team were pummelled by a rejuvenated Wallabies side in the Tri-Nations opener on Saturday.

The Australians beat the Springboks in the tight exchanges before unleashing their potent backline and had scored five tries to go 396 up before an hour of the game had been played.

The world champions will take some solace from more than 20 of their frontline players being back in South Africa nursing injuries but they will have to up their game considerably if they are to avoid humiliation against the All Blacks next week.

“It was disappointing but it could have been uglier,” said Smit, who scored a late consolation try to celebrate his 103rd test cap. “ What I enjoyed about this younger side is they chased to the death. There were some tries going begging for the Wallabies, and there was a lot of guts chasing to make sure it didn’t happen.

“Those are the kind of things we can draw upon. When these guys felt that when we got go-ahead ball and got control of the game and a little bit of composure, they realised how easy it can be. But they’ll rue the fact that at this level turnovers can really hurt you.

“They’ll pull a couple of positives out of this for sure but it’s not a great result for us. We’ll have to learn from this, let those guys take the experience and then be pretty harsh on Monday.” The Springboks toured with a weakened party in the 2007 Tri-

Nations before going on to win the World Cup but coach Peter de Villiers indicated once more that this was not a ruse to rest his best players.

“It’s not by choice that we brought so many new guys here, I felt sorry for John at one stage,” he said. “To be the captain is one thing but to have some leadership around you, to calm down the new guys, it was non-existent today.

“I hope the lesson that they learn ...(is the difference in)... playing for your country at test level and Super 15 level is quite remarkable.”

Injur y problems continued to mount for De Villiers, who has called up uncapped lock Gerhard Mostert to join the touring party in Sydney after a string of injuries to second row forwards.

Johann Muller, who has played 23 tests, returns to South Africa on Sunday after failing to recover from a hamstring injury that forced him to withdraw from the team to play Australia earlier in the week.

Another lock, Flip van der Merwe, injured his ribs in the opening minute of Saturday’s match and had to be taken off in the first half while Muller’s replacement Alistair Hargreaves suffered an abdominal strain during the match.

That all came after Andries Bekker, who has won 24 international caps, was ruled out of the World Cup on Saturday because he requires surgery for a ruptured ankle tendon.

“It never rains but it pours, eh?” said De Villiers. “Are there any locks left in South Africa? Then again, you have to overcome these things, that is your challenge in life and hopefully you’ll be a better person in the end.” The Springboks will remain in Sydney until midweek before flying to New Zealand, where they meet the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday. —Reuters

A

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17

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

S P ORT S

Khan KOs Judah to win IBF crown

FRANCE: Ai Miyazato of Japan holds her trophy after winning the Evian Masters women’s golf tournament. —AP

Miyazato wins Evian Masters FRANCE: Japan’s Ai Miyazato completed a stunning weekend performance to claim her second Evian Masters in three years yesterday.

After a bogey-free 67 in the third round, the 26-year-old followed up with a 70 to win by two shots on 15 under par 273 from American Stacy Lewis.

The 26-year-old joins Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam and England’s Laura Davies as a two-time winner - Swede Helen Alfredsson is the only player to have won the title three times. It was Miyazato’s seventh win on the LPGA Tour, but the first since the Safeway Classic last August for a player who was devastated by her country’s earthquake disaster in March and has already raised thousands for the charity fund.

“The disaster did affect me badly and the people back home are never far from my thoughts,” said Miyazato, who went to school in Sendai which was badly hit by the earthquake.

“But I am beginning to focus better again on my golf.” Two ahead at the start of the final round, Miyazato produced some pinpoint accuracy with her approach shots and birdied the third, sixth and eighth to move four clear of the field. But with Lewis and then playing partner, Hong Rang, hitting the birdie trail she saw the lead evaporate.

At the 12th, the lead was reduced to one when South Korean Hong made a long putt for birdie and Miyazato, after her second shot hit a slope and unluckily shot through the green, dropped her first stroke of the round.

But Miyazato hit back and there was a two shot swing in her favour at the 13th. The tiny Japanese player made a 15 foot putt for birdie, and Hong missed the green and made bogey. Miyazato shed another shot at the short 14th but Hong, with four bogeys in a row from the 13th, and Lewis, who let one slip at the 16th, failed to mount a threat over the final holes.

Lewis, with a 70, finished in outright second place on 13 under par with fellowAmerican Angela Stanford (71), Japan’s Miki Saiki (71) and South Korean Kim In-Kyung (70) tied for third on 12 under. Hong was another shot back after a 72.

“This was already a very special place for me,” said Miyazato, who collected the 330,000 euros first prize. “It was my first LPGA win in 2009 and now I have even more great memories.

Today I stayed patient and it worked. I felt comfortable all day.” Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, wearing a black arm band in recognition of the massacre in her home country on Friday, was the best of the Europeans and closed with a 68 to tie with Hong on 11 under for a share of sixth place.

Defending champion Shin Jiyai, from South Korea, closed with a 73 for seven under par, while Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, the world number one, closed with a 69 for nine under.

Montelimar’s Virginie Lagoutte-Clement was the best of the home players, but could only finish tied 44th after a disappointing second successive round of 74. —AFP

LAS VEGAS: Britain’s Amir Khan knocked out Zab Judah in the fifth round to add the IBF junior welterweight title to his WBA super lightweight crown in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The end came with a bodyshot that crumpled Judah (41-7, 28 KOs) to his knees. The experienced American complained after wards that the punch was low but replays showed it was on the belt line and legal.

“I knew he was getting hurt because he kept moving away and ducking,” said Khan (26-1, 18 KOs). “I kept hitting him in the face but the punch that dropped him was clean and on the belt.”

Khan, 24, was dominant from the first bell, punishing Judah with stiff left jabs and solid straight right hands.

Judah showed effective head movement for the first few rounds, meaning few of Khan’s punches landed cleanly, but the 33-year- old threw ver y few punches in return, even as Khan pursued him relentlessly.

Khan landed with just 61 of the 284 punches he threw during the fight but Judah threw only 115 punches in return, landing a mere 20, as Khan pursued him relentlessly.

Even with Judah’s evasive techniques, Khan scored with several solid flurries, backing Judah to the ropes and landing right hands that had the largely British crowd roaring with approval.

By the fifth, Judah was no longer able to escape the full force of Khan’s blows. Khan had by now found his range and was landing with increasing ease.

“If it had gone a few more rounds, I would have knocked

LAS VEGAS: Amir Khan, of Bolton England, and Zab Judah trade punches during the third round of their IBF & WBA junior welterweight title boxing match. —AP him out with a clean shot,” said Khan. “It was just a matter of time. I think I overwhelmed him with my speed and power. I could have gone in with a plan to knock him out sooner, but I wanted to take my time.”

Khan had won all four completed rounds on every judge’s scorecard at the time of the stoppage but Judah insisted that the coup de grace had been a foul blow.

“It was a low blow,” he said. “I

was trying to get myself together. When the referee star ted counting, I thought he was giving me a standing eight count. I t hought I woul d have t he chance to get up. I didn’t understand.” —Reuters

Fish, Isner advance at Atlanta Open ATLANTA: Americans Mardy Fish and John Isner both won their semi-finals to set up rematch of last year’s title match at the Atlanta Open on Saturday.

Top seed and defending champion Fish easily advanced past his promising 19-yearold compatriot Ryan Harrison 6-2 6-4 in their last four encounter.

Fish, who did not drop serve while breaking Harrison on three occasions in a match that lasted just one hour and 19 minutes, said he was expecting a tough challenge

from Isner yesterday.

“I’ll have to play as well as I can,” he told reporters. “He showed last year that he’s a tough out here. No one’s beaten him here yet this year. He’ll be tough. I’ll come up with a game plan that will hopefully give him some trouble.”

Big-serving Isner prevailed over Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller 7-5 6-7 6-1 in the other semi-final, firing down 28 aces In the process.

After dropping the second set tie-breaker

to close out the match, Isner seized control by winning the first five games of the third set. “I worked hard in the second set to win that set, and then at the beginning (of the third) I throw all my chances away,” said Muller. “It was hard to take.”

Isner will be attempting to win his second straight tournament, having won the Newport Open two weeks ago. “I’ve been waiting on this feeling for about four to five months,” said Isner. “Now that I have it, I don’t want to let it go.” —Reuters

Lorenzo grabs pole for US GP

STOCKHOLM: Swedish golfer Alexander Noren lifts the trophy after winning the Nordea Scandinavian Masters golf tournament. —AP

Pelt leads as Hadwin raises Canadian hopes VANCOUVER: American Bo Van Pelt used a record-smashing back nine of six-under-par 29 to hold off homegrown hope Adam Hadwin and claim a one-shot third round lead at the Canadian Open on Saturday.

Sputtering along at one-over heading into the turn at the sun-kissed Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Van Pelt suddenly found top gear to card a course-record six birdies, including four in his last five holes, on the way to a five-under 65.

It was a spectacular display by Van Pelt on a challenging Shaughnessy track that has been compared to a U.S. Open layout due to its tight fairways and jungle-like rough.

Van Pelt’s six birdies bettered the previous best of five carded by Franklin Langham in his five-under 30 in 2005, the last time the Canadian Open was staged at Shaughnessy.

“You just want to have a chance on Sunday, that’s what we’re all playing for,” Van Pelt told reporters. “At the turn I wasn’t doing so well...I was just trying to keep myself motivated and have a good nine holes to give myself a chance.

“You never know you are going to shoot 29, but that went a long way to give me a shot tomorrow.” While the Stars and Stripes hangs at the top of the leaderboard, the Canadian flag was waved all day as Hadwin, a 23-year-old who earns his living on the Canadian Tour, continued his unlikely bid to become the first homegrown winner of the national championship in 57 years.

Hadwin, who grew up just an hour from Vancouver, turned in another nerveless effort, shooting a 68 to lie one stroke adrift on four-under 206 heading into Sunday’s final round.

Argentina’s Andres Romero (67) and American Kris Blanks (69) were level at three under while Sean O’Hair (66), Australians Geoff Ogilvy (70) and Aron Price (69) and bighitting American John Daly (67) were three off the pace.

No Canadian has won the national championship since Pat Fletcher in 1954 and few predicted the long drought could end in Vancouver this week.

Mike Weir, who had carried Canadian hopes for a homegrown winner for over a decade, arrived at Shaughnessy with his game in shambles and pulled out early in the second round on Friday after re-aggravating an elbow injury.

However, Hadwin immediately stepped in to pick up the baton as he moved into contention. “The whole objective today was to put myself in a position to win tomorrow,” said Hadwin. “It’s been a very simple process this whole week and that’s just picking a target, picking a yardage and committing to it and that’s it. “I’m a Canadian Tour player. I’m not a PGA Tour star. I’m just playing good golf right now. “If I hit the ball on the fairway, put it on the green and give myself putts at it, I’ve got a chance to win the championship tomorrow.” —Reuters

LAGUNA SECA: MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo recovered from a morning crash to issue another strong challenge to championship leader Casey Stoner by putting Yamaha on pole at the US Grand Prix on Saturday.

A day after overshadowing Stoner to finish quickest in official practice, the 24-year-old Spaniard again secured the top slot with a best lap of one minute 21.202 seconds on the sun-soaked Laguna Seca circuit.

Australian Stoner, the 2007 MotoGP world champion who has finished on the podium in his last seven races, was second in 1:21:274 with Honda’s Spaniard Dani Pedrosa third in 1:21.385.

American Ben Spies, who briefly led late in the one-hour session before being eclipsed

by Lorenzo, was fourth in 1:21.578 to give the home fans cause for celebration.

Lorenzo, however, was the dominant rider in qualifying at one of his favourite venues after initially fearing Sunday’s race might be over for him following a nasty spill in the

morning’s final practice session.

The Spaniard crashed after a practice start during his cool-down lap and was struck by his bike as he slid across the gravel.

“It was very ugly for us this morning,” Lorenzo, winner here last year before going on to clinch the MotoGP world title, told reporters. “When I hit the ground, I was feeling pain and I was thinking the race was over for me.

“Fortunately, after some minutes, the pain was going little by little but to be in the first position this afternoon I never expected.

“On the bike, I never felt much pain so I could go fast (in qualifying) from the beginning. We are very proud of ourselves and we have a good bike.”

Stoner, who leads second-placed Lorenzo by 15 points in the overall standings, ended a frustrating afternoon by posting his fastest time in his 29th and final lap. “(To be on the front grid) is pretty important after the way this afternoon was going,” the 25-year-old from New South Wales said.

“We tried so many things with the bike.

“We went from one step bad to one step worse. We have been unable to find one good thing. “We have been struggling. We weren’t really on the pace.

“On my first soft tyres, I got held up but on my second I managed to get one lap out of it and that was about it this afternoon. We need to do a lot of work for tomorrow.”

Fellow Honda rider Pedrosa, fresh from victory at last week’s German Grand Prix, was largely satisfied with the performance of his bike in qualifying.

“Front row is always good,” the 2009 U.S. Grand Prix champion said. “It was one of the goals for the weekend and we tried to set up a little better the bikes for the race. “We have done a good job and I hope we can improve tonight a bit more the bike.”

With nine races completed this season and nine rounds to go, Stoner leads the championship standings with 168 points.

Lorenzo has 153 and Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso is third with 132 points. —Reuters

LAGUNA SECA: Jorge Lorenzo of Spain, races during the US Grand Prix MotoGP world championship motorcycle race. —AP

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

S P ORT S

Sato wins pole for Edmonton Indy EDMONTON: Japanese IndyCar driver Takuma Sato will start from pole position for late yesterday’s Edmonton Indy. The 34-year-old, with KV Racing Technology, drove the 2.2-mile(3.5-kilometer), 13turn City Centre Airport track in 1 minute, 18.5165 seconds Saturday at an average speed of 101.97 mph (164.1 kph).

He was five-hundredths of a second ahead of Team Penske driver Will Power, who will start beside him in the front row for the 90-lap race.

New Zealand’s Scott Dixon will start on the inside of the second row beside Dario Franchitti, his teammate at Target Chip Ganassi.

It’s the second pole of the year for Sato, who drives the No. 5 Dallara-Honda for KV Racing Technology-Lotus. He took pole in Iowa a month ago, but finished 19th.

“It’s a very special moment for me and for the team as well,” Sato said. He said the field was wide open in qualifying given that the drivers were on a new track and that their first practice sessions were wiped out by heavy rains Friday.

“The conditions today were tricky as everyone couldn’t run yesterday and we had only two (practice) sessions (today). But I was comfortable,” he said.

Sato four top-10 finishes in 10 races, but has never placed higher than fifth. Power, the 30-yearold Australian, just missed grabbing his sixth pole of the year.

“Takuma did a fantastic job,” said Power. “It’s pretty tough to keep a (pole) streak like that going every week, to get everything just absolutely right.”

The finish means Power will start right in front of

Franchitti, two weeks after the two collided at the Toronto Indy. The collision sent Power spinning and out of contention while Franchitti drove to victory to extend his lead over Power in the championship points race to 55.

It’s not a big lead given there can be as much as a 43-point swing in any race. But with eight races to go, Power has little margin for error if he wants to stop Franchitti from winning a third-consecutive championship.

The hit occurred when Franchitti was trying to pass Power on the inside near a concrete barrier in Toronto. The Scotsman said Power was too far over in the middle of the track and not respecting the no-blocking rules. IndyCar officials agreed with Franchitti and did not penalize him.

Power, however, said he was indeed far enough

over, and that Franchitti recklessly tried to pass him, causing his car’s nose to turn into Power’s wheel and send him out of contention.

After the race, Power publicly labelled Franchitti a “dirty” driver. And 10 days later he still questioned Franchitti’s tactics and ethics.

On Saturday, the two sat side-by-side on the podium to answer reporters’ questions after qualifying. They didn’t talk or look at each other. What about having Dario on your gearbox at the starting line Sunday? Power was asked.

“Yeah, well, being on the outside, it’s up to the guys on the inside to give you room,” he said in what seemed to be a shot at Franchitti.

“I’m hoping for a clean start. It’s a long race. We all want to finish.” Franchitti stared straight ahead and stayed silent during Power’s answer. —AP

Hamilton bags brilliant victory at German GP

LONDON: England’s Eoin Morgan, hits out off the bowling of India’s Harbhajan Singh during the fourth day of the first Test at Lord’s Cricket ground. —AP

Dravid and Laxman keep England at bay LONDON: Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman held firm as India eyed a record-breaking chase in the first Test after Matt Prior’s unbeaten century had swung the match back England’s way at Lord’s yesterday. India, at the close of the fourth day, were 80 for one in their second innings. They

SCOREBOARD LONDON: Scoreboard at stumps on the fourth day of the first Test between England and India at Lord’s on yesterday: England 1st Innings 474-8 dec (K Pietersen 202 no, M Prior 71, J Trott 70; Praveen Kumar 5-106) India 1st Innings 286 (R Dravid 103 no; S Broad 4-37, C Tremlett 3-80) England 2nd Innings (overnight: 5-0) A. Strauss lbw b Harbhajan 32 A. Cook c Dhoni b Kumar 1 J. Trott b Sharma 22 K. Pietersen c Dhoni b Sharma 1 I. Bell c Dhoni b Sharma 0 E. Morgan c Gambhir b Sharma 19 M. Prior not out 103 S. Broad not out 74 Extras (b8, lb7, w2) 17 Total (6 wkts dec, 71 overs, 315 mins) 269 Did not bat: G Swann, C Tremlett, J Anderson Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Cook), 2-54 (Strauss), 3-55 (Pietersen), 4-55 (Bell), 5-62 ( Trott), 6-107 (Morgan) Bowling: Kumar 20-2-70-1 (1w); Sharma 22-659-4 (1w); Harbhajan 21-1-66-1; Raina 6-1-43-0; Dhoni 2-0-16-0.

India 2nd Innings A. Mukund b Broad 12 R. Dravid not out 34 V. Laxman not out 32 Extras (lb1, nb1) 2 Total (1 wkt, 27 overs, 117 mins) 80 To bat: G Gambhir, S Raina, MS Dhoni, S Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, P Kumar, Zaheer Khan, I Sharma Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Mukund) Bowling: Anderson 8-0-26-0; Tremlett 8-3-22-0 (1nb); Broad 6-2-12-1; Swann 5-0-19-0.

Match position: India need a further 378 runs to reach their victory target of 458 with nine second innings wickets standing.

need a further 378 runs in a minimum of 98 overs in today’s final day to reach their victory target of 458 — a run-rate of 3.85 an over. This is the 2,000th Test of all-time and no side has ever scored more in the fourth innings to win such a match than the West Indies’ 418 for seven against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03.

Dravid, who made an unbeaten century in India’s first innings, was 34 not out, having opened in place of Gautam Gambhir who was injured fielding at short leg earlier in the day, and Laxman 32 not out at stumps.

The two experienced batsmen’s stand was so far worth 61. It didn’t look as if India would have to make fourth innings history when Prior came in with England having collapsed to 62 for five.

But the wicketkeeper stuck with his natural game and made 103 not out off 120 balls, including a six and five fours. It was Prior’s sixth century in 44 Tests and second in as many at Lord’s following his 126 against Sri Lanka last month.

Stuart Broad, who’d led England’s attack with four for 37 in India’s first innings, gave Prior excellent support in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 162 at nearly a run-a-ball as India’s depleted attack toiled on a sunny day.

Broad, who bats left-handed but bowls right, demonstrated his all-round ability with a fluent 74 not out off 90 balls including nine fours.

Prior pulled Suresh Raina for six to go into the 90s before a cover-driven four off the part-time spinner took him to his third Test century at Lord’s-he also made 126 not out at the ground on debut against the West Indies in 2007.

As soon as Prior got to his century, England captain Andrew Strauss declared on 269 for six and with 30 overs left in the day’s play.

Broad’s joy continued when he struck third ball to bowl Abhinav Mukund for 12, the lefthander playing on to him for the second time in the match.

India were again down to just three frontline bowlers as left-arm quick Zaheer Khan remained sidelined with a hamstring strain.

Fellow seamer Ishant Sharma still rocked England with three wickets for one run in 16 balls before lunch on his way to four for 59 in 22 overs. Kevin Pietersen had made a superb 202 not out in England’s first innings 474 for eight declared.

But yesterday he was out for one when he feathered a steepling Sharma delivery to India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Five balls later Ian Bell fell in similar fashion for nought. —AFP

Rhinos battle through as Wolves bow out LONDON: Last year ’s beaten finalists Leeds Rhinos battled through to the semi-finals of this year’s Challenge Cup with a hard-fought 38-22 win over Hull yesterday.

Carl Ablett’s second-half double proved vital for Leeds as they reached the last four for the ninth time in 12 seasons, where they will face Castleford.

The other semi-final sees Wigan-who knocked out holders Warrington on Saturday-taking on St Helens who won a hat-trick of Challenge Cups in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

The Rhinos had to come from behind to record their win, with Sam Obst and Jordan Turner’s own double helping Hull to a 16-6 lead at half-time at the KC Stadium. But two tries in three minutes from former New Zealand Warriors second-row Ali Lauitiiti and ex-Gold Coast Titans centre Brett Delaney proved the catalyst for a Leeds fight back.

That paved the way for Ablett ’s double, although it was far from plain sailing for Leeds with Joe Westerman’s 65th-minute score keeping Hull in the game right until the end.

Turner thought he had a hat-trick at the death but his third was ruled out before Ben Jones-

Bishop, the Rhinos’ only scorer in the first half, completed his double on the final hooter.

Meanwhile, Castleford, boosted by the return of stand-off Rangi Chase from suspension, downed Huddersfield 22-18 in a tight encounter.

Kirk Dixon opened the scoring in the 16thminute for the Tigers with Jordan Thompson following suit, but Huddersfield hit back through Scott Grix and Jermaine McGillvary.

Castleford’s Danny Orr and Huddersfield’s Leroy Cudjoe soon traded scores as did Ryan Hudson and Michael Lawrence in an enthralling second half at the Probiz Coliseum. And it was Dixon’s three goals to Danny Brough’s one that proved the difference for Castleford. On Saturday, Pat Richards starred with hand and foot as Super League champions Wigan dumped Warrington out with a 44-24 victory that ended the Wolves hopes of a third straight title.

Richards, a former Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers wing, scored in both halves as the Warriors ran in eight tries and booted six goals for a 20point haul. The 29-year-old’s first score capped a run of four in 15 first-half minutes with Harrison Hansen, Sam Tomkins and Andy Coley all going over beforehand for a 22-0 lead. —AFP

NURBURGRING: An emotional and utterlycommitted Lewis Hamilton produced one of the finest wins of his career yesterday when he confirmed McLaren’s renaissance with a dazzling victory in the German Grand Prix.

It was the Briton’s second win of the year and 16th of his career and not only revitalised McLaren, but also proved once again that runaway leader Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull team are not invincible.

The 26-year-old, who started from second on the grid, took the lead from the start and delivered a well-judged race and some flamboyant passing moves, supported by excellent strategy, to resist strong challenges from his rivals.

“That was one of the best races that I have ever done,” said a delighted Hamilton, after winning for the first time since the Chinese Grand Prix in April.

“We didn’t expect to come here and be so fast and really I just could not be feeling any better. “It was just great and we have to keep pushing. These are the results that we can get - the car was really nice to drive. A fantastic job and fantastic win.”

The 2008 champion controlled the race almost entirely, but had to fight at times to retain his advantage as he came home 3.9 seconds ahead of second placed Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.

Two-time champion Alonso, who won the British Grand Prix two weeks ago, finished a strong second ahead of thirdplaced Australian Mark Webber, the polesitter, of Red Bull and his team-mate defending champion Vettel, in fourth, after a brilliant final pit stop saw him move up from fifth in the pit lane.

Vettel remains out in front of the title race by 77 points with 216 ahead of Webber on 139 and Hamilton, now third, on 134. Alonso is fourth on 130.

In the constructors’ championship, Red Bull lead with 355 points ahead of McLaren on 243 while Ferrari are third on 192.

McLaren team chief Martin Whitmarsh was delighted with Hamilton’s performance, despite seeing Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, forced to retire with hydraulics problems. “What a fantastic race,” he said. “You had three teams, three drivers, really battling it out. Lewis just drove a fantastic race. We were very nerv-

GERMANY: McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain receives the trophy, handed over by the governor of Rhineland-Palatinate, Kurt Beck, after winning the Formula One German Grand Prix. — AP ous all the way through to be honest.”

Alonso said: “I am extremely happy with today’s result. We had a weekend that probably was not the easiest one. We struggled a bit on Friday, in qualifying we were fourth, half a second from pole so no doubts that we struggled a bit more with the weekend. “But even with the difficulties we are second and fighting for victory, so this is a fantastic achievement. Second in Valencia, first at Silverstone and second here.” Webber, beaten from pole for the second successive race, said: “We weren’t quick enough. I did everything I could. I’m happy with the way I drove, but these guys had a bit of an extra margin, especially in the back part of the stints. That made us a little bit exposed on strategy.”

It was runaway leader Vettel’s worst finish of a dominant season and signalled that, at last, the Red Bull team may have a battle on their hands in the second half of the year.

“We have to accept that today other people were quicker than us, and sure, I’m not happy, I’m not satisfied,” said Vettel. “I didn’t feel too good all weekend, I never got to the pace Mark (Webber) had in his car.” Felipe Massa came home fifth for Ferrari ahead of Germans Adrian Sutil of Force India, Nico Rosberg of Mercedes and his team-mate, seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.

Japanese Kamui Kobayashi was ninth for Sauber, after starting 17th, and Russian Vitaly Petrov 10th for Renault. — AFP

Aussies smash American relay streak SHANGHAI: Australia stunned the United States in the men’s 4x100m relay yesterday, ending a run of three straight wins and handing Michael Phelps a slow start to his last world championships.

James Magnussen had the better of Phelps in the first leg and Australia’s Matthew Targett, Matthew Abood and Eamon Sullivan held off France to finish it in 3min 11.00sec, relegating Olympic champions America to third. It was a resounding finish to the first day of pool competition after China sealed the first 10-title diving sweep and South Korea’s Park Tae-Hwan won his 400m freestyle duel with Chinese ace Sun Yang.

The Netherlands successfully defended their women’s 4x100m crown and Italy’s Federica Pellegrini sealed her second successive 400m freestyle world title.

But it was Australia, gunning to improve on their disappointing performance in Rome in 2009, who stole the show and gave 14-time Olympic gold medallist Phelps a bitter start to his final year in the sport. “It’s frustrating,” said Phelps, who will retire after the London Olympics. “As we all said after the race, it’s not how we want to start it (the championships).

“We know what we have to do to get back, and we all said standing up on the podium it’s clearly not the spot we want to be in,” he added. “So this is really going to be a motivation.” Australia were off to a flyer with Magnussen and maintained their narrow lead throughout, while America’s Garrett Weber-Gale, Jason Lezak and Nathan Adrian could not get them out of third. Phelps, who has 22 world titles, also suffered his first defeat in the race at a major event since the Athens Olympics in 2004. The Americans also won world gold in 2007 and 2009 and at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Earlier, Shanghai’s purpose -built Oriental Sports Centre witnessed the final act in China’s magnificent 10-out-of-10 diving performance, which put the seal on a decade of dominance. Qiu Bo epitomised China’s diving mastery as he collected 585.45 points in the final, more than 40 ahead of American David Boudia with Germany ’s Sascha Klein tak ing

bronze. But there was to be no fairytale for British defending champion Tom Daley, 17, who was competing despite the death of his father from cancer in May and finished fifth. “There is a big gap between me and Qiu Bo,” Daley admitted. “ The Chinese are fantastic. But you can see that everything can happen, and you can see the Chinese made mistakes in today’s competition.”

I t was one of only two individual events in which China did not seal both gold and silver, underscoring the wide margin they enjoy over their closest rivals.

China have long threatened the elusive clean sweep after claiming seven out of eight at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and taking seven of 10 at the Rome world championships a year later.

In the evening’s first swimming final, Olympic champion Park sneaked down the outside lane almost unnoticed to win his hotly anticipated 400m freestyle shootout with Sun, the quickest man this year. Park had his nose in front early on and finished nearly a length ahead of Sun, 19, touching in 3min 42.04sec. —AFP

Medals Table SHANGHAI: Completed world aquatics championships diving and synchronised swimming medals table after the ninth day of competition yesterday: Gold Total China Russia Germany Greece United States Brazil Britain Bulgaria Switzerland Australia Spain Canada Italy France Mexico Hungary Ukraine

10 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

10 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

Silver Bronze 1 3 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 2 2 0 2 1 1

21 13 8 3 3 1 1 1 1 3 6 3 3 1 2 1 1

SHANGHAI: The Australian team pose with their gold medals after winning the men’s 4x100m Freeestyle relay, at the FINA 2011 Swimming World Championships.— AP

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Bin Hammam ban sets up battle for AFC presidency SINGAPORE: Mohammed Bin Hammam’s lifetime ban from soccer is likely to transform Friday’s scheduled Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee meeting into a platform for prospective candidates to campaign for votes to fill his presidential role.

AFC president since 2002, Bin Hammam plans to appeal the FIFA ethics committee ruling on Saturday that the 62-year-old Qatari was guilty of trying to buy votes in his failed bid to oust Sepp Blatter as the head of world soccer in June.

China’s Zhang Jilong, an AFC vice-president but not a member of the all-powerful FIFA executive committee, has been in temporary charge of the regional body since Bin Hammam was initially suspended at the end of May. He said in a statement on Sunday that the AFC must stay united after the incident which followed a number of match-fixing scandals across their 46 member associa-

tions. “I, in my capacity as the acting AFC president, am aware of the urgent need to provide a strong leadership that will work closely with the member associations towards creating a climate of trust and confidence.

“During my provisional president, I promise that AFC will govern the continent’s football affairs in complete transparency, fairness and harmony,” Zhang said, using words very similar to those employed by Bin Hammam when he outlined his FIFA presidency manifesto in March. Zhang’s comments of providing support to the likes of South Korea, engulfed in a match-fixing scandal that has led to the arrest of a number of players in the top-flight K-League, are far different from the reserved stance he took when discussing the topic with Reuters last month.

His thoughts then were to leave the likes of South Korea, China and Malaysia to

eradicate the problems by themselves but after Bin Hammam was banned by FIFA, Zhang’s pledge could be seen as a presidential manifesto of his own. The problem for Zhang, if he does choose to run, is that he may not hold enough popularity among Asia’s member associations.

While he assumed the role as temporary head via his position as the most senior member of the AFC, he failed to win a seat on the FIFA executive committee in January after losing out in a race for two positions. The two men that beat Zhang at the AFC elections in Qatar earlier this year were Thailand’s Worawi Makudi and Sri Lanka’s Manilal Fernando, who both accompanied Bin Hammam on the ill-fated trip to Trinidad, where he was found guilty of bribing officials.

Worawi is a long serving member of the AFC and has sat on the FIFA executive committee board since 1997, but has been forced to repel claims that he asked for

bribes from England in return for his vote in the 2018 World Cup hosting battle.

The Thai, who has retained power in his country despite numerous protests by fans demanding he resign over poor national team performances, was cleared by FIFA of the allegations but the experience may persuade him to stay away.

The straight talking Fernando is in his third spell as a member of the AFC executive committee after first joining in 1979 and has held a number of roles inside the organisation before becoming a vice-president. Both could be tempted to run for the presidency after serving on the AFC for long periods and both could probably count on the support of Bin Hammam’s AFC allies, should the Qatari back their bid.

However, with Bin Hammam talking confidently of winning an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), both are likely to wait to see if there are any more twists in the Qatari’s case.

The other possible contender for the role could be 35-year-old Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, who surprisingly claimed South Korean Chung Mong-joon’s FIFA vice-president seat in January.

Prince Ali was able to call upon the support of all the Arab members, apart from the Chung-supporting Bin Hammam, in the AFC elections in January and perhaps most importantly Sepp Blatter.

“I can announce that the 25 people who voted for Prince Ali today will vote for President Blatter at the FIFA congress,” Kuwait soccer leader Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah said at the time, demonstrating the unity between Blatter and the Gulf. Should the Gulf nations and Blatter agree on one candidate, their 13 votes and influence on neighbouring members would be enough to elect a new president that suited them and would continue the power shift in Asian soccer from east to west.—Reuters

Celtic make winning start GLASGOW: South Korea’s Ki SungYeung was among the goalscorers as Celtic made a confident start to their Scottish title challenge with a 2-0 win against Hibernian in Edinburgh yesterday.

Ki netted Celtic’s decisive second goal midway through the second half at Easter Road after Anthony Stokes had given Neil Lennon’s team an early lead following a mistake from Hibs goalkeeper Graham Stack.

Celtic’s margin of victory could have been even greater but Stack partially redeemed himself by saving Gary Hooper’s second half penalty.

After being pipped to the title by arch-enemies Rangers on the final day of last season, this was the ideal way for Celtic to kick off their bid to take the crown away from Ibrox for the first time in four years.

Rangers had been held to a lacklustre draw by Hearts on Saturday and Lennon’s side took advantage to establish an early lead over their main rivals in the title race.

Lennon saluted Ki’s contribution and said: “Ki has been consistent over the last 18 months and is developing nicely in to a top class player. He showed all his attributes, good presence, good passing and got a goal.”

The Hoops boss was also impressed with the way his team took control in the second half.

“I thought we were outstanding in the second half. It was probably more than I could have expected at this stage of the season,” he said.

“I am obviously delighted with the performance, result and clean sheet. I thought the players adapted brilliantly.” Lennon handed a debut to defender Kelvin Wilson after his move from Nottingham Forest, while his other new signings Victor Wanyama and Adam Matthews were on the bench.

Sean O’Hanlon made his debut for Hibs and Garry O’Connor and Ivan Sproule made their second debuts after returning to Easter Road.

Initially it seemed the earlier than usual start to the Scottish Premier League season might trouble Celtic

and Hibs midfielder David Wotherspoon caused problems with an in-swinging cross that nearly crept in at Lukasz Zaluska’s near post.

Wilson then had to be alert to clear from inside his six-yard box and thwart the lurking O’Connor. But Celtic were handed the lead in the 14th minute when former Arsenal trainee Stack made a hash of catching a Kris Commons’ free -kick which slipped through his grasp and reached Stokes at the far post.

The former Hibs striker showed great composure to take the ball down with his first touch and curl a shot high over the heads of several Hibs defenders into the roof of the net.

Colin Calderwood’s team had their best chance to equalise early in the second half when Sproule latched on to Callum Booth’s defence-splitting pass.

However, Sproule allowed Wilson to catch him and end the attack with a well-timed tackle that brought desperate penalty appeals from the home fans.

Ki, 22, showed him how to do it in the 63rd minute when he took a pass from Stokes and drilled his low shot past Stack from 25 yards to increase Celtic’s lead.

O’Connor should have converted Sproule’s cross moments later and Hibs’ woes looked set to continue when Celtic won a penalty after Emilio Izaguirre’s clever check-back forced Sproule into a foul right on the edge of the area.

But Stack kept the score down as he dived to his right to push Hooper’s spot-kick on to a post before helping clear the rebound. In the day’s other game, Dundee United’s Danny Swanson scored a late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw that denied new Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels his first victory. Rory McKeown put Killie ahead with a superb long-range effort one minute after half-time, but Swanson fired home in the 70th minute to ensure the points were shared at Tannadice.—AFP

GERMANY: Schalke’s players celebrate after the Supercup match between German Bundesliga champion Borussia Dortmund and the cup winner, Schalke 04. Schalke won 4-3 in a penalty shootout.—AP

Schalke clinch Supercup BERLIN: Ralf Faehrmann, signed to replace Manuel Neuer as Schalke 04’s goalkeeper, made a spectacular debut on Saturday, saving twice as his side beat Borussia Dortmund on penalties to win the German Super Cup. Schalke, last season’s Cup winners, won 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw against their old enemies Dortmund, the Bundesliga champions.

Faehrmann spent several seasons at Schalke as a youngster but left in 2009 after finding his progress blocked by Neuer who has established himself as one of Europe’s top goalkeepers.

The 22-year-old moved to Eintracht Frankfurt but returned to Gelsenkirchen in the summer after Neuer’s move to Bayern

Munich.

Dortmund made most of the running in the first half and Faehrmann produced a superb one-handed save to deny Robert Lewandowski before halftime.

The second half was more even and Faehrmann’s opposite number Roman Weidenfeller brilliantly diverted Jan Moravek’s finish wide when the Czech looked certain to score.

Faehrmann ensured Schalke’s win by saving penalties from Kevin Grosskreutz and Ivan Perisic. The Supercup was officially reinstated by the German federation last year after a 14-year absence. The Bundesliga starts in a fortnight’s time with the first round of the German Cup next weekend. —Reuters

THAILAND: Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka (left) and Thailand All Stars’ Anderson Dos Santos fight for the ball during their friendly soccer match.—AP

Chelsea crush Thai team BANGKOK: English giants Chelsea nailed a convincing win against Thailand’s All-Stars yesterday, clinching a 4-0 victory in the capital Bangkok on the second match of their 15-day Asian tour. The result was a marked improvement for the Stamford Bridge team after they failed to shine in Malaysia on Thursday in their first match in Asia, where they scraped a 1-0 win.

Yesterday in the Thai capital’s Rajamangala National Stadium, both sides failed to capitalise on free kicks and corners in the first half until England midfielder Frank Lampard scored in the 38th minute.

Chelsea pushed ahead to 2-0 a few minutes into the second half when All-Stars goalkeeper Pattarakorn Tanganurat mishandled a shot from

Portuguese forward Jose Bosingwa.

A third goal followed soon after from Serb Branislav Ivanovic in the 52nd minute, and the Blues clinched their fourth and last goal from substitute Frenchman Florent Malouda in the 72nd minute. Chelsea’s next stop after Thailand will be Hong Kong, where they play a friendly against Kitchee, a local team, before ending their tour against either Blackburn Rovers or Aston Villa.

Their slim win in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday was marred by racial abuse directed at their midfielder Yossi Benayoun-the first Israeli to play in the Muslim-majority nation.

Like the rest of Asia, Thailand has an enduring love affair with the English game, and Thai

investors have developed close links with Premiership clubs in an attempt to boost the domestic game and raise their profile abroad.

Chang Beer has been the main sponsor of Everton football club since 2004, while in July this year arch-rival Singha unveiled a three-year deal with Manchester United, by far the most popular English club in Asia.

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a 2006 coup and living in exile, sparked controversy when he bought Manchester City and sold the club a year later.

But Thai tycoon Vichai Raksriaksorn, the CEO of airport duty-free giant King Power Group, has vowed to be a long-term owner of the lower-tier Championship side Leicester City.—AFP

Real stay undefeated in NA tour PHILADELPHIA: Jose Maria Callejon and Mesut Ozil each scored first half goals as Real Madrid cruised to a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia Union in a friendly game on Saturday. It was Real Madrid’s third win, with no losses, in the so-called World Football Challenge, which features North American teams playing visiting European clubs.

Real Madrid started their North American tour with an easy 4-1 win over David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy. Then Cristiano Ronaldo led the way with three goals as the La Liga giants blanked Chivas Guadalajara 3-0 in their second game.

“I think that clubs in the MLS are much better,” Real Madrid midfielder Kaka said. “I was impressed with the Union. They played very well. They gave us a tough match. They’re a very good team. “It wasn’t easy. We were happy to win this match. They played very good in the second half.”

Michael Farfan scored the lone goal for Philadelphia in the 80th minute in front of a crowd of 57,305 at the Lincoln Financial Field. “It was a good match for us after we came out a bit slow,” Farfan said. “I don’t think we were nervous. I wasn’t. We got behind and then played well in the second half. I think we gained a lot of confidence from that second half.”

This was the first game in which former World Player of the Year Ronaldo did not score for the Spanish club. Ronaldo played the second half after sitting out the first 45 minutes.

Callejon scored in the second minute and Ozil scored in the 11th to make it 2-0.

“The Union hung in there and took it to us,” Kaka said. “I thought they played with a lot of intensity in the second half and we didn’t take advantage of our chances like we could have.”

The Union defeated English Premier League side Everton FC 1-0 on Wednesday.

The World Football Challenge has proven to be a one-sided affair with the Major League Soccer clubs losing all five games so far, having been outscored 15-5.—AFP

PHILADELPHIA: Real Madrid’s Ricardo Carvalho (right) and Philadelphia Union’s Carlos Ruiz collide in the first half of a friendly soccer match.—AP

NFL lockout could end today NEW YORK: The National Football League and NFL Players Association appeared headed for an end to the four-month lockout with the players poised for a possible vote today on a 10-year labor agreement, the league website said yesterday.

Negotiators on both sides resumed work yesterday on the final details of the pact and plans were in place for the NFLPA executive committee to meet in Washington on Monday, according to a report posted on nfl.com.

Club owners approved a deal Thursday that they sent to the players, who needed additional time to go over the document and negotiate some of the final details.

Should the players’ executive committee approve the deal, it would be passed on to the 32 player representatives, one from each NFL club, to vote on the settlement.

Eventually, all 1,900 players would have to vote on returning the NFLPA to union status in order to settle issues requiring further collective bargaining. The players voted to decertify the union in March in order to sue the league in federal court under antitrust law.

The NFL’s Hall of Fame game has already been called off, but a timely agreement could still save four full weeks of scheduled preseason games.

Sources involved in the negotiations said it would still be possible that the league year would start on Wednesday and training camps could open by Friday, the NFL website said. Owners, who approved their draft of the agreement by 31-0 with the Oakland Raiders abstaining, would also have to sign off on the new collective bargaining agreement language.—Reuters

Real stay undefeated in NA tour

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Bin Hammam ban sets up battle for AFC presidency Page 19

BUENOS AIRES: Uruguayan captain Diego Lugano (center) raises the trophy and celebrates with teammates at the end of the 2011 Copa America football tournament final against Paraguay. —AP

Uruguay win 15th Copa America BUENOS AIRES: Uruguay defeated Paraguay 3-0 yesterday to win a record 15th Copa America with striker Diego Forlan grabbing two goals to take his international tally to 31.

Liverpool attacker Luis Suarez was also on target as Uruguay took a first continental crown since 1995 and broke their Copa title tie of 14 which they held with Argentina.

Suarez opened the scoring in the 12th minute when his drive took a deflection off Dario Veron and left goalkeeper Justo Villar wrong-footed.

Former Manchester United striker Forlan added the second three minutes from the interval when Egidio Arevalo

cleverly intercepted the ball to release the Atletico Madrid attacker who confidently buried a left-footed strike.

It was Forlan’s 30th international goal, but first in 13 matches as Uruguay, who knocked out hosts Argentina in the quarter-finals, were in cruise control at River Plate’s famous Estadio Monumental.

Uruguay were well worth their lead having dominated the first half while Paraguay, who had reached the final without winning a game, were desperately short of ideas and inspiration.

They had been fortunate not to have been a goal down as early as the second minute, needing Villar to pull off a sensational, point-blank save to keep out a bul-

let header from Diego Lugano.

Paraguay, the champions in 1953 and 1979, had defeated Brazil and Venezuela in penalty shoot-outs in both the quarterfinals and semi-finals after the games ended 0-0 in extra-time.

But they came close to pulling a goal back in the 54th minute when Nelson Valdez crashed a right-foot volley off the crossbar with Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera getting a slight touch to deflect the ball towards the woodwork.

Just moments earlier, Suarez had muscled his way down the left, but his cutback for Forlan dropped just inches behind the Atletico Madrid man as he closed down on goal. Paraguay again looked danger-

ous when Ivan Piris charged down the flank before crossing to Christian Riveros whose flick was saved by Muslera.

Uruguay remained in a positive frame of mind, bringing on prolific Napoli striker Edinson Cavani for Alvaro Pereira after 65 minutes. Cavani then teed-up Sebastian Eguren 10 minutes later but Villar pulled off a one-handed save despite being offbalance. Forlan then hit his 31st international goal in the last minute after being set-up by Cavani and Suarez.

Meanwhile, Paraguay and Uruguay may have contested the final but with their combined populations barely 10 million, organisers Argentina are thanking their lucky stars Chile at least got to the

Evans seals historic Tour de France win PARIS: Cadel Evans sealed a historic first Tour de France victory for his native Australia after the 21st and final stage of the epic race yesterday.

Britain’s Mark Cavendish, of HTCHighroad, took his third consecutive stage win on the Champs Elysees where Evans, who rides for BMC, maintained his lead of 1min 34sec over Andy Schleck of Luxembourg who rides for Leopard.

In third place was Frank Schleck, 31, who finished 2:30 behind to make sure the Schlecks make history as the first brothers on the race podium.

Cavendish has now won five stages this year, taking his tally to 20.

His third consecutive stage victory on the final stage of the race means he becomes the first Briton to secure the green jersey for the race’s points competition.

The Isle of Man rider became the first Briton to step on to the podium since 1984 when Scotland’s Robert Millar took the King of the Mountains jersey on his way to a fourth place finish. Spaniard Samuel Sanchez, of the Euskaltel team, won this year’s polka dot jersey while Frenchman Pierre Rolland, of Europcar, won the white jersey for the best placed rider aged 25 and under.

It was 30 years ago that pioneering Australia’s Phil Anderson paved the way for future generations by becoming the first non-European to wear the Tour de France yellow jersey. Evans had already been Australia’s most successful rider on

the world’s premier cycling event thanks to two runner-up places in 2007 and 2008.

Two years after becoming Australia’s first ever world road race champion, Evans made history in convincing fashion a day after dispossessing Schleck of the yellow jersey after the 20th and penultimate stage time trial.

“What can I say? I’ve been dreaming of winning the Tour de France for the past 20 years, ever since I was a 14-year-old,” said Evans after stepping off podium where pop star Tina Arena sang Advance Australia Fair in his honor.

Schleck held a 57sec lead on Evans following the final mountain stage to Alpe d’Huez, won by Rolland, on Friday and was confident of taking the yellow jersey all the way to Paris.

However the Luxembourg climbing specialist fell victim to his comparatively inferior time trialling skills on the challenging 42.5 km course around Grenoble on Saturday.

Evans slashed his deficit to just 36sec by the 15 km mark of the individual race against the clock, and by the halfway point he had become virtual leader. In the end the Australian beat Schleck by 2:30, dropping the Luxemburger to second by 1:34.

Schleck, who had won the white jersey from 2008-2010, has now come runner-up for the third consecutive year having finished second to Alberto Contador in 2009 and 2010.

PARIS: Tour de France winner Cadel Evans of Australia, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, celebrates on the podium. —AP “Cadel deserved to win,” said Schleck, although has has pledged to return to win next year. “I wasn’t far behind, but I was still behind and that’s what matters.”

Contador, the three-time reigning champion, endured a disappointing race before finishing fifth overall at 3:57 adrift of Evans and one place behind France’s Thomas Voeckler, fourth at 3:20.

Voeckler had the hosts drreaming of a first home victory since Bernard Hinault in 1985 when he took the yellow jersey on stage nine and held it

for 10 days.

But despite heroically defending his lead by only 15sec on the second of three stages in the Alps, the 19th stage to Alpe d’Huez the following day proved fatal for the Europcar rider. Voeckler’s fourth place, however, is the best French finish since Christophe Moreau finished fourth in 2000. “It’s been a wonderful Tour,” said Voeckler, who also wore the yellow jersey for 10 days in 2004.

“Obviously I’m a bit disappointed. I got close to the dream, but that’s what it will remain.”—AFP

quarter-finals to boost tourism.

The Chileans, who made a surprise exit to Venezuela, spent most of their time at Mendoza and San Juan, relatively near the border, and with more than 30,000 fans backing them they constituted almost three quarters of Copa tourists in the area.

Tourist officials say Mendoza can point to around 190 million pesos ($ 46 million) in revenue in the three weeks the city hosted Copa action, well above expectations, as 65,000 people flocked to the northern city.

Barely eight percent of tourists were from either Brazil, the United States or Europe. When Chile faced Peru on July 12 in Mendoza, 37,000 of the 46,000

crowd were Chileans.

“This Copa America broke various records. The visit of Chile made the difference in terms of international tourism,” the Argentine news agency Telam quoted provincial tourism head Raul Sanchez as saying.

On the down side, city tourism chief Ricardo Beccaceci estimated that Chile’s loss to the Venezuelans equated to lost visitor revenue of some 16 million pesos.

When Mendoza, whose hotels had until then been completely booked up, hosted the ensuing semi between the Venezuelans and Paraguay the match attracted barely 5,000 fans, leaving hoteliers to count the cost.—AFP

Australia celebrates Evans’ Tour de France victory MELBOURNE: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard ruled out the possibility of a national holiday but told Cadel Evans of the impact his victory in the Tour de France would have on his compatriots.

Australians stayed up through the night, some at fancy dress parties, to watch the 34year-old Evans ride to victory down Paris’ Champs-Elysees in yesterday’s final stage of cycling’s greatest race.

Gillard spoke to Evans by telephone beforehand and told him that all of the country would be behind him as he rode to the finish line to become the first Australian to win the 3,430-kilometer (2,131.2-mile) race.

“We did share a joke about his impact on the economy of our nation,” Gillard said. “I suggested that he wasn’t doing much good for national productivity because everyone was coming to work bleary-eyed. He suggested that it’d all be all right in the end because people would feel so full of morale that they’d be cantering into work and working harder.

“So I’m not in a position to announce a public holiday for (Monday), but I am in a position to share Cadel’s view that ultimately we’ll be more enthused about our daily tasks because we’re celebrating his victory.”

Federal opposition leader Tony Abbott described Evans as Australia’s toughest sportsman. “The Tour is the toughest endurance event in the world,” Abbott said.

“Cadel has done every Australian incredibly proud.”

Evans’ mother, Helen Cocks, paced the floor of her farmhouse at Arthurs Creek in rural Victoria state as her son virtually clinched victory in the the penultimate time trial stage on Saturday.

“Watching him ride, he just looked so strong. But I was not even thinking about it (victory) until the finish. I just did not want to

go there,” she told the Melbourne Age newspaper. “I got so tense. I just wanted to be by myself because it was never a foregone conclusion.

“But all the time that I watched him, during those extraordinary long times in front, you knew that he had a chance. I’ve been speechless, breathless. But now there is an enormous relief; he has worked so hard for it, and for once he had some luck.”

Sydney bank officer Nick Farrell was one of many Australians who stayed up through the night. He was still up early yesterday, after the decisive time trial, to celebrate Evans’ achievement with a early morning bike ride with friends.

“I stayed up half the night watching the time trials and couldn’t get to sleep afterwards, I was so excited. But I couldn’t miss my Sunday ride. Cadel’s victory makes it so much sweeter,” Farrell told the Sydney Morning Herald. “The man’s a legend. A good bloke and a genuine Australian sporting hero.”

Residents of Evans’ home state of Victoria were urged to wear yellow to work Monday to celebrate the victory. Premier Ted Baillieu said all Victorians would want to celebrate the achievement of Evans, who lives part of the year in the state’s coastal township of Barwon Heads. Baillieu said he was in discussion with Evans’ family and management about an appropriate official celebration.

“He’s a man that causes a lot of fuss but he doesn’t, on a personal basis, make a lot of fuss,” Baillieu said. “We want to work with Cadel and his family and his management to do something that he can embrace when he returns to Victoria.

“He’s certainly part of the fabric of Victoria and he now always will be. I’m sure Victorians will want to express their support for Cadel Evans, and I invite Victorians tomorrow to all wear a bit of yellow.”—AP

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KSE equities mixed Page 24

Trafalgar General Trading signs deal with Mabanee Page 22

NEW DELHI: Activists of Indian trade unions rally near the parliament house in New Delhi against inflation and rising prices. Two decades ago, India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unleashed radical free-market reforms that were a watershed moment in the transformation and rise of the South Asian giant. — AFP (See Page 26)

US debt default won’t happen: Geithner Aug 2 deadline nears as talks move into ‘difficult days’ WASHINGTON: The United States will not default on its debt, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said yesterday, as the clock ticks down to reaching a deal by August 2 to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.

“It’s unthinkable we would not meet our obligations on time,” Geithner told CNN in an interview. “It’s not going to happen.” Congress must also come up with a plan which lifts the threat of a US default of its huge $14.3 trillion debt for at least 18 months, beyond the November 2012 elections, Geithner said.

“We have to take that threat off the table. But we also have to make sure

that we come together to make some long term savings,” he told Fox News yesterday. “ We’re trying to avoid default today, and the specter of default in the future.” President Barack Obama and top lawmakers were again searching for an elusive deal yesterday to avert an unprecedented US default which could happen as early as August 2 when the government runs out of funds to pay its bills.

White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley said yesterday that negotiations over the US debt limit and deficit reduction were moving into “difficult days” and said it was crucial to market

confidence to get a deal soon.

Speaking on the NBC program “Meet the Press,” Daley expressed confidence that Congress would act in time to raise the debt ceiling because congressional leaders have all said default is not an option.

Geithner said Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell “had been absolutely clear, they are not going to let this country default.

“They are not going to put us in the position where the members of their party who have been threatening default, or even praying for default...They are not going to let that

happen.” But on ABC’s “This Week,” he hit out at what he called “a vocal, loud, frankly irresponsible minority in their parties who... want to take this country to the edge of default. And that is not acceptable.”

The treasury chief said under one plan, a committee with exceptional powers would be set up in the coming months to put together a framework of tough reforms to the US economy with a clear deadline for moving forward.

The United States has “to demonstrate to the world that we can get our fiscal house in order,” Geithner added on Fox News yesterday. Behind closed

doors at the White House and in Congress, polarized US leaders are struggling to come together despite fears the stalemate could send global markets tumbling, starting with early Monday trade in Asia around 9:00 pm Sunday (0100 GMT today).

“Both leaders recognize they’re running out of time,” Geithner told ABC. “They need get this process moving in the House by Monday night to achieve that deadline. They need to have a framework that they know with complete confidence will pass both houses of Congress, that is acceptable to the president, and that should happen today. “

Sudan currency move deepens tiff with South KHARTOUM: Sudan yesterday began circulating a new currency days after the newly independent south issued its own new money, in a move likely to heighten differences over handling the economic fallout from the split. South Sudan, which became Africa’s newest nation on July 9, began circulating its new pound pegging it one-to-one with Sudan’s existing pound .

Sudan’ central bank yesterday said it had started circulating 6 billion pounds to gradually replace 11 billion old pounds. It has previously said the exchange would last up to three months.

Analysts say it is crucial for both countries to coordinate to avoid turmoil but the Khartoumbased central bank said no deal has been reached with the south over what to do with the estimated 1-1.5 billion old pounds circulating there. “Officially, we won’t allow the old currency to enter (the country), any such entering from the south would be considered illegal,” Al-Nur Abdelsalam elHelu, assistant central bank governor told reporters in the northern capital. “We haven’t reached an agreement with the southern government,” he said. The central bank called the northern action a

“precautionary measure” after the south went ahead earlier than expected with its own currency launch. The old Sudanese pound has been falling on the black market in Khartoum for weeks as economists say foreign currency inflows needed for imports will decline alongside falling oil revenues. On the black market in Khartoum a dollar buys 3.4 or more Sudanese pounds, well above the official rate of almost 2.7. The old pound has also fallen in the south on worries the old notes will be worthless.

The north lost about 75 percent of Sudan’s 500,000 barrel-aday oil output with southern independence under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war. Khartoum will get transit fees as the south needs northern refineries and the only port to sell the oil but these are likely to be lower than the current 50-50 split.

Analysts say the north might use the fate of the old Sudanese pounds circulating in the south as a bargaining tool in talks how to divide oil revenues, other assets and debt.

Apart from economic issues, Sudan and the south have yet to end tensions and violence along parts of their borders. — Reuters

Washington hit its debt ceiling on May 16 but has used spending and accounting adjustments, as well as higher-than-expected tax receipts, to pay its bills and continue operating up to the fast-approaching day of reckoning.

But pressed several times, Geithner refused to reveal if the Obama administration had a back-up plan and had begun deciding which checks would be signed and which would not.

“We will do everything we can to mitigate the damage,” he told Fox News yesterday, revealing that the United States writes 80 million checks a month. — AFP

Banks drag Abu Dhabi to 7-week low; Gulf mixed MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

KHARTOUM: A Sudanese man shows freshly-minted notes of the new Sudanese pound in Khartoum yesterday as the country issues new currency following the South’s secession from the north.—AFP

Gold exchange dominates as price rises in Kuwait market KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti gold market is currently dominated by exchange of old pieces for new ones of newer designs as customers shy away from new purchases amid soaring prices, a weekly specialized report indicated. The Zomoroda weekly report said new purchases are mostly in the category of small bullion as customers consider gold a good investment and the best option against the threat of infla-

tion. Price of gold per kilo actually surpassed KD 14,250 for the first time in Kuwait and this, coupled with shrinking demand, is making it hard for owners of gold workshops to buy pure gold.

The report noted that an ounce of gold in the international market topped $1,610 last Tuesday, a new peak, on the heels of an increase in the euro exchange rate and the price of oil against the drop of the

US greenback.

The report added that despite stability in the euro-zone after the passing of the plans to save Greece and despite the sum of euro 160 billion to be paid to cover its debt, euro 109 to come from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, there was still related tension in the atmosphere driving investors to seek the yellow metal. —KUNA

DUBAI: Banks dragged Abu Dhabi’s bourse to a sevenweek low yesterday on muted buying interest, while trading was mixed across the Gulf. The emirate’s index shed 0.2 percent to end at its lowest close since June 6. First Gulf Bank fell 0.9 percent, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank dropped 2.2 percent and Union National Bank slipped 1.4 percent. “All developed markets appear overvalued, and emerging markets are even more so. That leaves frontier markets where you may get lucky-specifically Dubai, and potentially Kuwait and Qatar. Qatar has potential but not unless oil prices rise and gas prices catch up,” said Ibrahim Masood, senior investment officer at Mashreq bank.

Dubai’s benchmark slipped 0.2 percent to its lowest close in July. Emirates NBD , Dubai’s largest stock, declined 2.4 percent and logistics firm Aramex fell 2.7 percent. Elsewhere, Qatar’s index ended at a week-high, up 0.1 percent.

In Oman, the benchmark dropped 0.3 percent to a near four-week low. Stocks across the board fell but volumes were low. Lack of local catalysts and uncertainty in developed markets has been weighing on Muscat’s shares, taking its year-to-date losses to 12.3 percent. Bank Muscat shed 0.7 percent, Oman Telecommunications Co (Omantel) fell 0.6 percent and Bank Dhofar dropped 1.9 percent. In Kuwait, the benchmark rose for a fourthstraight sessions, but volumes were focused in small-caps, signalling risk-aversion trade. Aviation Lease and Finance Company jumped 7.6 percent, after the company said it made a profit of 17 million dinars ($62.1 million) by waiving the purchase of six Airbus aircraft for an unnamed third party.

Abyaar Real Estate Development Co climbed 2 percent. The index edged higher 0.04 percent to end at its highest close since July 14. Kuwaiti stocks tumbled early last week on concerns about the economy and on regulations being enforced by the Capital M arket Authority.— Reuters

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business

Trafalgar General Trading signs deal with Mabanee Agreement to bring renowned brands to The Avenues most important malls for our brand. By signing this agreement with Mabanee Co we are entering a new phase that will witness the opening of new branches at the Prestige Mall. Bringing our business to this distinguished mall will reflect positively on the shopping experience of our clients.”

The new extension of The Avenues will present a unique shopping experience for people with elegant taste, who will be able to select from a large collection of sophisticated brands. It will also provide a relaxed and luxurious atmosphere that includes restaurants and cafes located on two floors that have been carefully designed and constructed using the best materials in order to present clients with a world-class culinary experience. The new extension groups six unique areas: Prestige Mall, The Grand Avenue, The Mall, SoKu, The Souq, and The Bazaar.

KUWAIT: A memorandum of understanding was signed lately between Mabanee Co and Trafalgar General Trading Co whereby the latter will open new branches for several renowned world brands that it represents at the Prestige Mall. The Prestige Mall is considered home to the largest collection of high-end world brands in the region, and is part of the new extension of The Avenues which will be inaugurated in mid-2012.

The agreement between the two companies reflects the depth of their strategic cooperation, and their keenness to present the most renowned brands in a shopping atmosphere that is both luxurious and elegant. The agreement includes the brands of Chopard and Versace.

Commenting on this occasion, Managing Partner of Trafalgar Amer AlAnsari said, “The Avenues is one of the

ABK holds first draw for ‘Enjoy this Summer with ABK’

Burgan Bank announces new branch timings for Ramadan

KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait carried out the first draw for its offer “Enjoy this summer with ABK” that was launched at the onset of summer. The draw was held on the 21st of July, at the main branch, under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

“Enjoy this Summer with ABK” enabled both, ABK Emirates credit cardholders as well as Prestige and Raed debit cardholders the opportunity of winning valuable prizes like the magnificent SeaRay boat.

Cardholders who had used their cards overseas for KD 100 or above between 15 June and 15 July were entitled to enter the draw. The grand prize, a luxurious SeaRay boat was won by an overjoyed Nasrallah Sayed H Behbehani and the cash prizes were won by Khalil Ibrahim Shaaban, Satco Trading Co and Waleed Khalid Othman.

Stewart Lockie, GM, Retail Banking stated, “We launched the summer offer for our clients to give them the opportunity to enter three draws on three luxurious boats and 10 cash prizes each worth

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced its new branch timings which will be applicable all throughout the holy month of Ramadan. All Burgan Bank branches will commence work in one shift from 10 am to 1:30 pm.

Additionally, the Airport branch will be open in the mornings from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm and in the evenings from 9:30 pm to 11:30pm.

On this occasion, Burgan Bank extends its best wishes to everyone during the holy month of Ramadan.

UAE’s EMAL gets nod for $4.5bn investment DUBAI: Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) has received approval from its board for a $4.5 billion investment that will almost double the aluminum smelter’s annual capacity, the company said yesterday. Capacity will rise to 1.3 million metric tons on completion of its planned phase II project, the state-owned firm said.

EMAL is a 50-50 joint venture between Dubai Aluminum Company Ltd (Dubal) and Mubadala Development Co (Mubadala), Abu Dhabi’s investment vehicle.

“Phase II will equip EMAL to grow the global customer base we have already established,” said Saaed Fadhel Al Mazrooei, President and chief executive of EMAL. The company, which supplies customers in 36 countries, first started production from its $5.7 billion project located at Al Taweelha in Abu Dhabi in January 2010.

The Phase II project will involve construction of a new potline within the EMAL complex at Al Taweelah in the oil rich emirate of Abu Dhabi.

EMAL will also upgrade the technology installed in the phase I project, it said.

The firm expects to complete the second phase in 2013-2014. — Reuters

KUWAIT: Waleed Al-Shurian, the Deputy General Manager of Mabanee Co, Amer Al-Ansari, the Managing Partner of Trafalgar and Saud Al-Zabin, Leasing Director at Mabanee Co.

Zain Kuwait’s Director for Customer Care, Ahmed Al-Kandari

Monthly prizes for Zain’s pre-paid service customers

up to KD 2,500. To enter the first draw you had to spend at least KD 100 outside Kuwait using your ABK Emirates credit cards or Prestige or Raed debit cards during the first month of the promo. The more purchases you made the more chances you had of winning these valuable prizes. We chose the timing of the offer to coincide with the travel season, so clients can benefit and double their chances of winning. In addition to the prizes clients received up to 7 Skywards Miles for every KD 1 spent using their ABK credit cards. “ Lockie added, “We would like to congratulate the winners of the day and wish better luck to those who did not win, you have more chances in the coming draws, as opportunities remain to win two luxurious boats and seven cash prizes worth up to KD 2,500 each as the offer continues till 15th of September, 2011.”

For more information you can chat live with an ABK representative on Ahli Chat via our website www.eahli.com or you can call Ahlan Ahli at 1 899 899.

The direct bank deduction service takes the due amounts of the monthly invoice from the client’s card, saving him the trouble of visiting branches or paying online.

Zain Kuwait’s Director for Customer Care, Ahmed Al-Kandari said, “Zain always wants to bring its clients exciting offers. This time we want to reward our customers using our direct bank deduction service. New customers joining the program can also enjoy the opportunity to win the fabulous monthly prizes”.

To join the direct bank deduction service, customers should visit any Zain Kuwait branches or fill in the online form on www.kw.zain.com

KUWAIT: Zain Kuwait, the country’s largest mobile network operator, has launched a monthly prize draw for postpaid customers who pay their monthly bills via their credit cards through the direct bank deduction service. This service offered by Zain is available to holders of Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club and American Express, as well as NBK and GULF K-net.

Upon full payment of their invoice, the customer gets the chance to be one of seven lucky winners of a range of exciting prizes and will enjoy a 5% discount on local calls. Wayana clients are also eligible for the discount after they have utilized their full credit.

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2700000 .4380000 .3860000 .3300000 .2850000 .2910000 .0040000 .0020000 .0742800 .7236840 .3810000 .0700000 .7094400 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2736000 GB Pound/KD .4400990 Euro .3885120 Swiss francs .3328470 Canadian dollars .2884710 Danish Kroner .0521100 Swedish Kroner .0423110 Australian dlr .2939150 Hong Kong dlr .0351100 Singapore dlr .2252960 Japanese yen .0034690 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0745060 Bahraini dinars .7258860 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0729660 Omani riyals .7107960 Philippine Peso .0000000

.2765000 .4490000 .3950000 .3420000 .2950000 .3010000 .0072500 .0035000 .0750260 .7309580 .4010000 .0770000 .7165700 .0072000 .0530000 .2757000 .4434770 .3914940 .3354010 .2906850 .0525100 .0426360 .2961710 .0353800 .2270260 .0034960 .0062380 .0025250 .0032060 .0037130 .0750780 .7314580 .3898870 .0735260 .7162530 .0064710

Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.532 6.171 3.176 2.499 3.873 227.280 35.193

GCC COUNTRIES 73.123 75.344 712.230 728.310 74.666

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.600 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 45.943 Yemen Riyal 1.255 Tunisian Dinar 201.400 Jordanian Dinar 387.230 Lebanese Lira 182.700 Syrian Lier 5.920 Morocco Dirham 35.597 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 274.100 Euro 397.990 Sterling Pound 451.030 Canadian dollar 293.160 Turkish lire 161.620 Swiss Franc 339.230 Australian dollar 297.400 US Dollar Buying 272.900 GOLD 293.000 148.000 77.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees

SELL CASH

301.000 728.600 3.910 292.700 538.100 36.400 53.900 167.800 48.050 397.400 35.850 6.510

Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

SELL DRAFT

299.500 728.600 3.664 291.200

227.800 46.008 395.900 35.700 6.170

0.033 0.241 0.238 3.590 389.220 0.185 94.050 47.300 4.300 240.500 1.858 52.000 711.590 3.290 6.620 75.790 73.150 227.820 43.120 2.635 450.300 44.500 338.800 5.600 9.540 198.263 74.700 274.300 1.200

0.033

387.200 0.184 94.050 3.880 239.000

337.300 5.600 9.370 74.600 273.900

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 448.300 273.900

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees

Selling Rate

273.850 292.300 448.430 396.900 334.925 726.070 74.535 75.165 72.990 385.475 46.000 2.497 6.181

Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

3.183 3.664 6.448 671.724 3.580 9.276 5.758 3.945 90.962

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. 711.410 3.190 6.465 75.360 73.150 227.820 43.120 2.499 448.300

GOLD 1,646.320

10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

3.660 6.458 9.194 0.271 0.273

Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars

274.300 3.190 6.185 2.520 3.675 6.475 74.785 73.350 729.300 45.995 449.900 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 389.700 5.750 396.900 297.300

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

273.550 395.700 448.100 291.000 3.500 6.173 45.965 2.498 3.655 6.465 3.190 728.000 74.600 73.100

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business Commodity Update

Markets consolidating after recent rally

By Ole S Hansen, Senior Manager, Saxo Bank

C

ommodity markets had a quiet week following their rally during early this month. As the summer holiday season approaches its peak across many countries activity has been relatively low with focus firmly on the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and the US. On Thursday European Union leaders reached an agreement that they hope will provide a definitive line in the sand and prevent the debt crisis from spreading to Italy and Spain.

Meanwhile, in the US hopes have been increasing that politicians will be able to break the deadlock and reach agreement on how to raise the debt ceiling before the August 2 deadline.

Failure to do so would have severe consequences as the government would otherwise begin to default on its obligations.

Slow week Stock markets had a good week on either side of the Atlantic as investors belief in a fitting solution to both debt problems triggered some buying combined with better than expected earnings from US tech giants, like Apple which continues to accumulate cash at a rate that would make any government jealous.

The Reuters Jefferies CRB index, having recovered half of what was lost during the May to June correction, was flat on the week as movements across the different commodities were pretty small apart from sugar and coffee. Even the high dollar correlated commodities failed to get a boost from the weaker dollar which was down on the week against a basket of currencies.

Crude oil testing resistance WTI crude oil rose again and was heading for a fourth week of gains helped by a weaker dollar, easing debt crisis concerns and no extension of the strategic stock release from the International Energy Agency. The IEA announced on June 23 that 60 million barrels of reserves would be released in order to make up for some of the shortfall from lost Libyan exports. This oil will begin to reach the market shortly and combined with signs of higher output from OPEC and a general slowdown in economic activity it should help alleviate bottlenecks.

China’s oil consumption in June slowed to 9 million barrels per day, the slowest annual increase since 2009. It could indicate that the current moves by the Central Bank to steer the economy towards a soft landing are succeeding. With some of the developed economies going through a period of slowing growth, demand from China in the months ahead holds significant importance for the future development of oil prices.

The price of both WTI and Brent traded back at the higher end of their recent ranges with the 100 dollar mark on WTI and 120 dollar mark on Brent continuing to offer some resistance. The spread between the two also narrowed back below 20 dollars as the stock levels at Cushing, the delivery hub for NYMEX WTI crude, fell to a seven-month low. Over the last decade the months from August to November have historically shown small or negative returns as demand following the peak summer demand falls back. Any signs of economic activity picking up again however could trigger another move higher given the low levels of spare capacity with Libyan oil still removed from the market.

Taking a breather The price of gold and silver eased off towards the weekend as European leaders struck a deal to save the smaller EU nations from defaulting. As much of the recent gold rally into new record territory has been driven by the European debt crisis, the initiatives announced Thursday now carry the risk of investors reducing exposure. Silver is currently confined to a 38 to 41 dollar range while gold will be looking for support down towards the previous record high of 1,577.50 The overall outlook for higher prices in the months ahead has not changed but every new high in gold over the last couple of years has been followed by a period of minor corrections, and this seems to be the most likely scenario once again. What could change the outlook near-term is US government failure to reach an agreement on raising the debt ceiling which could also trigger additional dollar weakness.

The ratio between gold and silver continues to be confined in a 39.5 to 44.5 range with the attempt this week to drive silver higher and the ratio lower, failing yet again. Investors looking to move back into silver have not forgotten the extreme volatility and market collapse back in April and as a result they are now managing their exposure much more carefully.

Heat wave The heat wave that has engulfed large parts of the USA has been the driver for higher corn and soybean prices. Some of the heat is expected to ease over the coming week and should help stabilise prices. The price of soybeans however is near the highs of the year as hot weather, a weaker dollar and higher than expected export sales underpin prices.

Meanwhile, the price of wheat remains subdued at the lower end of its 2011 range as increased competition for international tenders points towards ample supplies in the months ahead.

Russia has raised its grain export forecast by 3 million tons to 18 million tons as this year’s harvest could be 90 million tons, up from 85 million tons previously.

Sugar back above 30 cents The strong rally that raised the price of sugar by 50 percent during the past few months continued again this week after a recent pull back. The rally has all been about the expectations for a reduced crop output in Brazil. A report this week concluded that Brazil, the world’s biggest producer, is overestimating how much sugar it will produce this year as ageing crops, lower than expected rainfall and early frost have reduced the yield and quality of production. The price of near-month sugar reached a 30 year high of 36 back in February before a sharp correction was followed by this recent rally back towards the 30 cent level.

Deliveries into the October futures contract rely primarily on supplies from Brazil as Northern Hemisphere harvests typically do not reach the market until late in the year.

Coffee at five-month low At the other end of the performance scale we find coffee as it lost nearly 7 percent on the week and reached a 5 1/2 month low in the process. Above average temperatures in Brazil, the world’s largest producer of high quality coffee has helped reduce any potential for frost damage this season. Historically low coffee stocks however will leave prices exposed to the upside should the weather situation change for the worse. — Saxo Bank

Renault GCC offer on new Safrane draws high interest Campaign to conclude on July 31 DUBAI: The month-long campaign giving away a 16GB iPad2 Wi-Fi for purchasers of the new Renault Safrane is drawing real interest among car enthusiasts, announced Renault GCC, the fastest growing and the first generalist European automotive brand in the region that marked a 256 per cent growth at the end of June 2011 compared to the same period last year.

The campaign that was rolled out on 28 June will conclude on 31 July. Widely communicated across the print, online, radio and outdoor media, in addition to the iPad2 the campaign is gifting a 2GB USB memory stick to every customer that test- drives the new Renault Safrane in the participating GCC countries.

In less than three weeks of the campaign’s launch, the initiative has already received more than 1,000 online registrations from across the participating GCC countries to test drive the new Renault Safrane.

The new Renault Safrane is a well dimensioned, high-end, luxury saloon

that commands an imposing presence and style, inside out. Packed with some

of the most exciting and convenient features such as a driver’s massage seat,

internal air quality management systems, and Bose sound system, the bestin-class saloon is among the top 15 European cars sold in the GCC. Developed with the Middle East climate in mind, the new Renault Safrane’s distinguished front end and elegant lines sweeping over her broad shoulders connote the full power of the engines. The interior is a veritable ‘business lounge’ where the finest materials meet innovation to offer exceptional comfort for all passengers.

Benoit Turibe, Marketing Director, Renault GCC, said: “Renault is a peoplecentric company. This core priority is reflected in The New Renault Safrane where the comfort is accessible to all not only to the driver. This focus is also proved in our promotional campaigns give-aways, our attention of offering an innovative, attractive gift like iPad2 validates our appreciation and care for our customers. Through this, we and our distributors are delighted to welcome our customers to the exclusive car ownership experience that Renault offers.

Regional markets remain bearish, Tunisia edges up KAMCO MENA MARKETS REPORT KUWAIT: Markets in the MENA Region ended mostly negative as the Tunisia Index was the only gainer for the month registering a 4.26% upturn to record 4,296.59. On the loser’s side, MASI Index plunged 5.62% to 12,510.93 points followed by Beirut’s SE Index slumping 3.15% to 1,125.24 and ASE decreasing 3.07% to 2,093.52, while the EGX 30 dropped 2.72% to record 5,373.

Egypt The EGX 30 index didn’t manage to post a second consecutive month of gains, and instead followed the trend for the year with a loss of 2.72% for the month to record 5,373 bringing its YTD-11 losses to 24.77%. The market was negatively affected by Egypt’s decision to decline aid from the World Bank and IMF along with a poor showing in its T-Bill sale during the month; furthermore, internal turmoil flared up again during the month revealing that the situation is still volatile.

During the first 13 days of trading, the market continued its positive trend from the previous month, gaining a significant 2.2% to record 5,628.09 on June 19th.

However, in a sign that investors were unsure if the market had overshot itself, the EGX 30 began a steady slide over the next 8 trading days as it shed 5.32% to record 5,283.9, before rallying 1.69% in the final day of trading as investors searched for bargain buys.

Shareholder fears were further buoyed in this period by the government’s failure to raise even two thirds of its targeted EGP 7 bn ($1.2 bn) during its T-bill sale and the decision of the Egyptian interim government to decline $7.5 bn in aid pledged by the IMF and World Bank to help the economy recover. The decision was taken in light of the interim government’s decision to reduce spending in the fiscal year starting July 1st to slash its budget deficit to 8.6% of GDP from a current 9.5%, rather than the 11% budget deficit targeted in the budget announced on June 1st; however, the interim government’s statement said that it didn’t need to borrow “at the moment” suggesting that they may yet turn to the IMF and World Bank.

Jordan The ASE Index continued its losing streak for the second consecutive month to record 2,093.52, a 3.07% monthly decline mainly due to a slump in the heavyweight Banking sector which witnessed a 3.7% plunge in market capitaliza-

energy needs. Furthermore, Egypt and the Kingdom agreed to raise the price of natural price shipments to $4 per million thermal units from $1.5 assuring Jordan a higher energy bill than previous years even when the pipelines become secure again. In the meantime, Iraq agreed to raise its daily oil exports to Jordan by 50% to 10,000 barrels, with the total increasing to 30,000 barrels at a later unannounced date, as the Kingdom attempts to secure energy sources. Jordan’s budget deficit narrowed to JD 46 mn ($65 mn) in the first 5 months of 2011 as compared to JD 137 mn ($194 mn) in the same period last year as a result of a rise in foreign grants and government revenue.

tion. Total market cap suffered a 2.87% fall to record JD 14.16 bn ($19.94 bn) as most sectors of the economy shed value as investment in the Kingdom is paying the price of the broad regional turmoil; only the Technology & Communication, Media, and Engineering & Construction sectors, accounting for 11% of the market, posted gains.

Jordan’s energy crisis shows no signs of abating as refiners in the country face mounting costs due to oil imports. Energy has been a real drag on the economy this year due to gas supplies facing interruptions due to repeated attacks on pipelines in Egypt over the past 6 months and the Kingdom reliance on importing all its

Tunisia The Tunisia Index bucked its two month losing streak gaining 4.26% to record 4,296.59, paring its YTD losses to 15.96%. Total market capitalization increased 2.58% to TD 12.44 bn ($9.03 bn) from TD 12.13 bn ($8.8 bn).

Trading for the market began positively in the first 10 days of the month as the market gained 0.67% mostly buoyed by the May 30 approval of a $500 mn loan to Tunisia by the African Development Bank.

The market continued to gain in the following week, increasing 1.65%, after the Tunisian government announced an increase in the state budget for 2011 to TD 21.3 bn ($15.5 bn), up 11% from the origi-

In other developments, the Islamic Development Bank announced that it will be providing Egypt with $2.5 bn in a financing package spread over three years.

The funding will be provided for development projects, as well as insurance for imports and exports, and to strengthen the private sector. The projects include a plan for a 650 megawatt power plant.

Mada Communications Now closer to you on Facebook and Twitter KUWAIT: As part of Mada’s ongoing expansion strategy to better serve its existent customers and provide updated technology information and support to a wide range of Internet users, and given the importance nowadays of social networking and its role to bring people closer; Mada Communication, the leading internet provider in Kuwait and the region, launched its dedicated pages on Facebook “http://www.facebook.com/Mada.Kuwait”and twitter “http://twitter.com//Mada_Kuwait” On this occasion, Shahad Ibrahim, Director of Marketing at Mada Communications stated: “Today, our clients are one click away to discover our latest services, technology and offers around the clock, seven days a week.” She added: “We are keen to continuously communicate with our customers and value their views, opinions and concerns so that we can improve our offerings, products and services to exceed their expectations and needs.” Mada Communication, one of the leading communications companies in Kuwait and the region that provides various connection services and wireless Internet support, comprise a proven record in the wireless technology providers for government, oil, financial and private sectors and currently providing the same high quality services to individuals. Mada communications enjoys high market share in the State of Kuwait, Lebanon, and Jordan.

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Mada.Kuwait Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com//Mada_Kuwait

nal allocated budget of TD 19.2 bn ($13.9 bn). The good sentiment was further buoyed during the next week as Tunisia secured a further $500 mn loan, this time from the World Bank, to support its efforts to strengthen governance and with the aim of jump starting economic growth.

Trading cooled in the last week to with the market moving sideways to record a marginal drop of 0.02%.

In economic news, the Central Bank of Tunisia cut its key interest rate by 50 basis points to 4% in an attempt to spur much needed economic growth in the aftermath of the revolution earlier this year. The bank last changed its interest rate back in Feb10 when it cut it 75 basis points to 4.5%.

Furthermore, the finance minister has stated in June that the economy for the country should be back to growth of 5-6% in 2012, a sharp rebound from the maximum expected growth of 1% for this year. The minister anticipates investments of $50 to 60 bn in the next five to seven years with about a year needed to get the legal and regulatory framework before they can start deploying the money In other news, the Islamic Development Bank announced early in the month that it will lend $291 mn for electricity projects in Tunisia. Moreover, the European Investment Bank signed a EUR 163 mn ($231 mn) agreement to build roads in Tunisia; the project is set to cost EUR 300 mn eventually with the financing spread over 25 years with a four-year grace period Lebanon The Beirut Stock Exchange posted losses for the second consecutive month to record a loss of 3.15%, as investors sentiment remains muted due to regional uncertainties. Total volume reached 2.8 mn shares, a sharp 58% plunge from last month, which follows on the back of severe 63% plummet in May-11. Value recorded $34.9 mn - a 44% slump that mirrors the sharp decline in trading volume.

Market breadth was even between the losers and gainers as the advancers-todecliners ratio stood at 7 to 7, with 9 unchanged.

Al Tijari holds biggest daily draw in Kuwait with Najma Account KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account draw on July 24, 2011.

The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani.

The winners of the Al Najma Daily Draw are :No Name KD 1 Ashraf Gameel Ahmad Husain 7000 2 Khaled Mohammed Hasanain 7000 3 Halima Abbas Ali Al-Sarraf 7000 4 Khaled Ali Hasan Karam Bokhan 7000 5 Amal Ahmad Mohsen Al-Fadhli 7000 The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

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BUSINESS

KSE equities mixed GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) closed the first trading session of the week in mixed note on light volume. 2Q2011 financial results are controlling market trend these days as investors still waiting for the remaining big companies to release their results.

It is worth mentioning that Global General Index dropped for the ninth time in sixteen trading days so far in July.

Global General Index (GGI) ended the day down by 0.37 percent, at 186.45 point. Market Capitalization was down for the day reaching KD30.50bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 6,080.4 point, adding 2.50 points (0.04 percent) from its previous close.

Market Breadth During the session, 97 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 38 equities retreated versus 26 that advanced. Trading activity was down this session. Total volume traded was down by 44.25 percent with 93.27mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD14.83mn (52.52 percent lower compared to the day before). The real estate sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 27.92 percent of total shares. The services sector was the value leader, with 39.95 percent of total traded value. Aviation Lease And Finance Co (ALAFCO) was the most active in terms of values traded during the session, with 10.51mn shares exchanged at an aggregate value of KD3.68mn.

The scrip closed 7.58 percent at KD0.355.

In terms of top gainers, Bayan Investment Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 8.93

percent and closed at KD0.031.

On the other hand, Burgan for Well Drilling Co shed 8.20 percent and closed at KD0.280, making it the biggest decliner in the market. ALAFCO reported generating KD17mn profit after waiving an agreement with Airbus SAS to buy six 350-900 aircraft to a third party.

Sector-wise Market indices had mixed performance during the session, but three big sectors; banking, real estate and services, went down reflecting their negative performance on the general index. Global Services Index was the biggest decliner during the session by closing down by 1.18 percent at 814.1 points. The index was

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

affected by the decline of the two telecommunication companies, Zain and National Mobile Telecommunication (Wataniya).

Zain stock price went down by 20fils to stop at KD1.000, which is 1.96 percent decline. Wataniya had the same trend as its share price closed down by 0.97 percent at KD2.040.

The Real Estate sector index went down by 0.76 percent with seven decliners and only three advancers. Mostly the index was pulled down by the decrease in Mabanee Company and Remal stock prices. Mabanee share price declined by 1.22 percent, and closed at KWD0.810, while Remal price decreased by 10fils to close at KD0.330, that is 2.94 percent decline.

Global Investment Index closed with eight decliners and three advancers. However, the index slightly went up by 0.09 percent to close at 84.24 points.

Bayan Investment Company notably advanced by 8.93 percent to close at KD0.0305. The scrip topped the gainers’ list for the day. Another advancer in the sector was Al Imtiaz Investment Company. The company closed at KD0.188 adding 3.3 percent to its previous closing price.

Oil News The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $113.20 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $113.54 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

UAE interbank offered rates at new 7-year low DUBAI: Interbank offered rates in the United Arab Emirates continued their slide to a fresh seven-year low yesterday, as liquidity in the OPEC member’s banking sector stayed high, also dragging one-year dirham forwards lower.

Bank deposits had risen to their highest level in at least two years in April as the Gulf Arab state enjoyed a safe-haven status amid regional unrest, but dropped again slightly in May. The benchmark three-month interbank offered rate, based on quotes from a dozen banks, was set at 1.505 percent at yesterday’s fixing, the lowest level since June 2004. Before Dubai’s debt crisis in November 2009, the rate was 1.915 percent.

The rate remains, however, well above the Saudi benchmark of 0.600 percent. “It is the high liquidity and the banks now falling in line with what is required by the central bank. A few of the banks who have had higher rates have now brought the rates in line with the other banks which has brought the average down,” said Lyndon Loos, head of forex trading for Middle East and North Africa at Standard Chartered in Dubai.

“The banks are now falling in line with what is required by the central bank, which is making the three-month EIBOR come off quite considerably,” he said. In May, the central bank urged banks to bring rates down and increase lending after September’s debt restructuring deal with Dubai World .

Deposits at UAE banks stood slightly lower at 1.124 trillion dirhams ($306 billion) in May, down 0.4 percent from the previous month, central bank data showed.

Loans and advances increased by 2.7 percent year-on-year at the end of May

after a 3.2 percent rise in the previous month. However, banks are still cautious about lending following Dubai’s $25 billion debt restructuring last year and a still weak property sector.

UAE private sector credit growth has been anemic, at a mere 0.2 percent yearon-year in April, compared with annual rates of well over 50 percent in the oilboom year of 2008. Investors perceive the UAE - together with Qatar the only Gulf Arab states to have escaped regional unrest - as a safe-haven bet benefiting from inflows from Bahrain, where Sunni rulers crushed weeks of protests led mostly by the Shi’ite majority demanding democratic reforms in March.

The UAE pledged to spend $1.6 billion in less-developed northern emirates, introduced bread and rice subsidies and hiked military pensions among other measures.

Improved liquidity in the UAE, the secondlargest Arab economy, has also helped push currency forwards down over the past five months. “There is quite a bit of local currency liquidity available within the country which is basically keeping shortterm rates lower and the forex swaps also,” Loos said. One-year dirham forwards were quoted at -6.5/0.5 points yesterday, compared with a peak of 45 points at the beginning of March. Forwards now imply the dirham will hold close to its 3.6725 peg to the dollar over a one-year period.

Dubai’s credit default swaps , the cost of insuring the emirate’s debt against default for five years, stood at 332.5 basis points on Thursday, up from 327.6 points earlier this month, according to Markit. —Reuters

Firms ‘still wary of Investment’ in UK LONDON: Economic prospects in the UK remain “fragile” as firms still lack the confidence to invest for growth, according to new research yesterday. A survey of 1,800 companies by Lloyds TSB bank found a continued lack of domestic demand, leaving the outlook for profits “weak”.

Business confidence has improved, but the economic recovery was said to be “sluggish”, with profitability remain-

ing a big concern.

One in five businesses expected to increase their level of investment over the coming six months, while a similar number planned cuts. John Maltby, managing director of Lloyds TSB Commercial, said “ With domestic demand in the doldrums, and confidence still muted, it is understandable that firms are worried about investing for the future.” —KUNA

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business

Kuwait bourse entered negative territory BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the red zone. The price index ended the week with a decrease amounted to 1.47%, while the weighted index declined by 1.91% compared to the closings of the week before.

Moreover, last week’s average daily turnover raised by 87.68%, compared to the preceding week, whereas trading volume average recorded a growth of 83.88%.

KSE recorded losses for the second consecutive week, as a result of the strong selling actions pressure witnessed in the first two days of the week, which included large number of stocks, especially the leading and operational stocks, causing the weighted index to be negatively affected more than the price index.

Moreover, the market managed to record limited gains in later sessions, which enabled it to recover a part of its losses. The market speculative performance continued amid cautious state prevailed on the investors waiting for the listed companies’ semi-annual financial results, where only nine companies

announced its results, however nearly half of the announcement period is over.

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 6,077.9 points, down by 1.47% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 1.91% weekly loss after closing at 423.20 points.

Sectors’ Indices All of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the red zone. Last week’s biggest loser was the Non Kuwaiti Companies sector, as its index declined by 2.48% to end the week’s activity at 5,880.5 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Real Estate sector ’s index closed at 2,096.5 points recording 2.05% decrease.

The Banks sector came in third, as its index closed at 11,840.2 points at a loss of 1.92%. The Food sector was the least declining as its index closed at 4,195.5 points with a 0.01% decrease.

Sectors’ Activity The Real Estate sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 166.15 million shares changing

hands, representing 28.05% of the total market trading volume. The Services sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s trad-

ed shares were 22.71% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 134.52 million shares. On the other hand, the Banks sector’s

stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 52.50 million or 44.51% of last week’s total market trading value.

The Services sector took the second place as the sector ’s last week turnover of KD 26.05 million represented 22.08% of the total market trading value.

Market capitalization KSE total market capitalization declined by 1.99% during last week to reach KD29.80 billion, as all of KSE’s sectors recorded a decrease in their respective market capitalization. The Banks sector was the most declining as its total market capitalization reached KD 13.03 billion, decreasing by 3.11%. The Real Estate sector was the second in terms of recorded decline with 2.50% decrease after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 1.69 billion. The third place was for the Non Kuwaiti Companies sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 1.84 billion by the end of the week, recording a decline of 2.10%. The Insurance sector was the least declining with 0.48% recorded decrease after its market capitalization amounted to KD 303.21 million.

For further details, please visit our web site: www.bayaninvest.com

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business

Britain awaits key data amid euro-zone fallout LONDON: Britain yesterday discovers whether its economy managed to grow in the second quarter despite the impact of deep government spending cuts and rising debt tensions in the euro-zone, a key trading partner.

Some analysts are predicting that gross domestic product (GDP) may have contracted between April and June as consumers tightened their belts, major businesses slashed jobs and the manufacturing sector struggled to make headway.

Although Britain is not a member of the euro-zone -which last week scrambled together a new Greek debt bailout-the

country has been rocked by its own deficit tensions, forcing its coalition government to slash public spending.

“The economy is likely to have eked out marginal growth at best in the second quarter and there is a very real danger that it could have contracted modestly,” said Howard Archer, chief European economist at IHS Global Insight researchers. According to HSBC bank, the market consensus is for GDP to have risen by just 0.1 percent in the second quarter compared with the first three months of 2011.

“I am expecting poor data which might confirm a double dip recession (on the hori-

zon),” said Neil MacKinnon, an economist at financial group VTB Capital.

“If not, it will just show that the economy is stagnating.”

Britain has been closely following rising debt strains in the euro-zone. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg last week warned that Britain had a “vital self-interest” in ensuring stability in the bloc.

“A break up of the single currency would have catastrophic consequences for millions of people across the EU, including in the UK,” he said, shortly before euro-zone leaders and private creditors agreed a second Greece bailout. Greece was last week hand-

ed a 159-billion-euro rescue, risking a potential default in order to prevent the debt crisis from spreading worldwide.

“The heightened euro-zone sovereign debt crisis is a serious ongoing threat to growth prospects” in Britain, said analyst Archer. Additionally, “economic activity still seems likely to be limited as the fiscal squeeze increasingly impacts and consumers limit their spending in the face of serious headwinds, most notably the major squeeze on their purchasing power (and) slowing global growth threatens to weigh down on UK exports.”

Although the economy grew 0.5 percent

in the first quarter that only offset a similar sized fall in the last three months of 2010, leaving activity broadly flat over the six months.

Britain’s economy pulled out of a recordlength recession in late 2009 but the recovery has faltered amid high inflation and tax hikes introduced by the coalition Conservative-Liberal Democrat government since gaining power last year.

Against such a backdrop, the Bank of England has held its key interest rate at a record low level of 0.50 percent since March 2009 and is forecast to maintain the status quo well into next year. — AFP

India marks watershed reforms anniversary 20 years of market economy sees the rise of a giant

WASHINGTON: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., holds his hand up as he whispers to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, during a photo opportunity in the House Speaker’s office before a meeting on the debt limit increase on Capitol Hill in Washington on Saturday. —AP

US markets show no panic yet over crisis NEW YORK: Market experts are closely following the US debt ceiling talks, but they appear more worried about the economic impact of failure to reach an accord rather than a dramatic slide in the stock market.

Still, it is the fear of a dramatically lower stock market opening Monday that has helped propel congressional leaders and the White House to try to finish hammering out a long-term deficit reduction plan this weekend. Market analysts told AFP that while the markets might be nervous, they are hardly on the verge of panic, just 10 days before an August 2 deadline for the United States to default on its debt.

Certainly the markets “would have sold off ” Friday if talks had collapsed between the White House and Republicans during trade, said David Kotok, the president of Cumberland Advisors. Instead, Republican House Speaker John Boehner made a shock late evening announcement that he was quitting negotiations with the president in favor of talks only with Senate leaders.

By now, Kotok said, the markets have had time to “digest” the news. While still skittish, “the minute there is a glimmer of resolution,” they will become very robust, he added.

And Boehner has since told fellow Republicans he hoped for a deal with Democrats by yesterday evening. Such a breakthrough aimed to reassure jittery world markets that the world’s richest country would pay its bills after August 2, with Asian investors first to render their judgment on the stalemate in a matter of hours. At Natixis bank, economist Evariste Lefeuvre said the “11th hour” mentality will “hurt the dollar in the days ahead.” Still, Lefeuvre asked, even if the United States briefly defaults, or the rating agencies downgrade US debt, where

else will people turn?

“Investors who hold US debt, are they going to sell it... and buy German, French or Dutch debt?” he asked. The challenge is the lack of secure debt alternatives in sufficient quantities with the safety of US Treasury notes. “There is no safe alternative to $8 trillion dollars in American debt,” said Lefeuvre. A sudden collapse in the US markets, therefore, is not on the horizon, he believes.

“The real risk is an aversion to risk in general,” he said, adding that rising interest rates could undermine an already fragile recovery. Lefeuvre said it’s not certain that US stocks will tumble if the debt ceiling is not resolved, since the US economy still remains one of the strongest in the world. On the other hand, the absence of a debt deal could have a “dramatic” impact, he noted, especially if the Obama administration decides to pay back its creditors before distributing retirement and health coverage payments. “It might not be in default on its debt, but that would come at the price of an immediate and very violent contraction in public expenditures,” with a sharp reduction in disposable household income to follow, said Lefeuvre.

The problem, said Kotok, is that the “economic impact is already showing, in the employment statistics, and in shrinking local governments... it already is drastic.” Kotok said that if a deficit reduction plan is reached, the markets will move higher in August.

For commodity analyst Matt Smith of Summit Energy, an agreement still appears inevitable. “If there isn’t a solution, there will be an immediate reaction,” he said. “But right now, it seems such an outlier that not many people are taking it into account... there’s a certain amount of complacency, everyone still believes there will be a resolution.” — AFP

UAE’s MAF Holding raises $1bn loan DUBAI: Dubai’s Majid Al-Futtaim (MAF) Holding LLC, sole franchisee of hypermarket chain Carrefour in the Gulf, raised a $1 billion loan to refinance debt, it said yesterday, after putting a bond sale plan on hold due to market conditions.

The financing comprises of a threeyear revolver facility and a five-year term loan, was oversubscribed.

Proceeds will be used to refinance a $1 billion syndicated loan, maturing in July 2012, as well as provide extra liquidity for the company, MAF Holding said in a statement.

MAF said half of its July 2012 syndicated facility has been already used up. Barclays Bank, Credit Agricole, Emirates NBD and Standard Chartered served as lead arrangers on the trans-

action. “We will continue to focus on diversifying our sources of funds and tapping the bond market continues to be a priority,” said Daniele Vecchi, treasurer of MAF Holding, in the statement. The company set up a $2 billion medium term notes program and conducted a series of investor meetings in the UAE, Asia and Europe last month but did not announce any plans to issue a bond from the program.

MAF’s primary subsidiary is MAF Properties, which develops and manages shopping malls, hotels and master-planned communities across the Gulf. It plans to spend $3.5 billion up to 2015 on four new malls. The mall developer had picked banks for a $1 billion loan, sources told Reuters earlier in the month. — Reuters

NEW DELHI: Two decades ago, India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unleashed radical free-market reforms that were a watershed moment in the transformation and rise of the South Asian giant.

“We shall make the future happen,” declared Singh, who was then finance minister, in presenting his landmark budget on July 24, 1991, that opened up India’s markets and cut through the country’s infamous red tape.

“Let the whole world hear it loud and clear-India is now wide awake.” Singh, today battling accusations of drift and criticism that the gradual reform process has stalled, ignited the fuse for rapid growth at a time when the economy was teetering on bankruptcy.

India had just two weeks of foreign exchange reserves to pay for food and fuel imports and had just flown 47 tons of gold to London to be stored at the Bank of England as collateral for an emergency loan. Singh, a former World Bank economist, switched the country’s course from inwardlooking socialist policies to a more market-friendly approach in the budget whose 20th anniversary was yesterday.

He simplified tax collection, slashed customs duties, invited foreign investment, initiated privatization of government-owned companies and lifted the shackles on Indian industry by abolishing stifling production quotas.

The period preceding the crisis has become known as the “License Raj”-a time when rigid government controls laid down how much companies could produce and permits were required for almost every economic activity. “The reforms were a great catalyst for the rise of Indian entrepreneurship which was held back by dysfunctional controls on companies,” Shankar Acharya, a former chief government economic advisor who worked with Singh, told AFP. “India was a closed economy and Dr Singh’s budget began the process of integrating it with the world,” Achar ya said. Singh

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addresses the World Economic Forum’s 25th India Economic Summit-2009 in New Delhi. Two decades ago, India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unleashed radical free-market reforms that were a watershed moment in the transformation and rise of the South Asian giant. — AFP allowed up to 51 percent foreign ownership in a wide range of industries, relaxed import controls on raw materials and machinery and allowed entry of foreign consumer goods-hitherto a luxury available only to those with relatives abroad or the means to travel.

The move to a more capitaliststyle economy triggered a surge in economic growth as exports zoomed and foreign investment that cured India’s fiscal crisis, boosted incomes and dramatically expanded the country’s middle class. “ The Licence Raj was a strait-jacket on industry. Firms needed permission to produce, to

import. Its end allowed us to show the world what we could do,” Confederation of Indian Industry director general Chandrajit Banerjee told AFP. Instead of waiting for years on a waiting list for motorbikes or phones, products were suddenly much more widely available.

The changes also transformed the lives of many Indians in more subtle ways, altering how they shopped and travelled. “Middle class Indians stopped going around with a sheepish, hangdog expression that ‘We don’t have what the rest of the world has’,” said former Reserve Bank of India consultant T C A Srinivasa

Raghavan. “ The reforms made middle class India more confident,” he said. As liberalization progressed, India’s skies were opened to competition and a clutch of new airlines took flight, prompting a fall in fares and migration from trains to planes. India’s telecommunications sector has become the world’s fastest-growing, a host of foreign carmakers from General Motors to Toyota have set up shop and the country ’s gross domestic product has nearly quadrupled since 1990.

But bribery remains rife in the 1.2-billion-strong nation, particularly in government offices with officials seeking money for everything from school entrance to marriage certificates, and the economic boom has bypassed hundreds of millions of Indians.

Some 42 percent of the population, or 455 million people, still live on less than $1.25 a day, according to the World Bank.

Statistics on health, infant deaths and malnutrition are worse than those for some countries in subSaharan Africa.

And 20 years on, India’s reforms program is at a standstill.

Singh’s stint as prime minister has disappointed businesses who hoped he would execute a “second-generation” of changes to propel growth into double-digits.

Long pending proposals include introducing a nationwide tax structure to cut business costs, simplifying land acquisition for industrial projects and fully opening up the vast retail sector to foreign investors.

But instead of driving changes, Singh has spent much of the last 18 months fighting major corruption scandals linked to the Commonwealth Games last October and the sale of telecom licenses in 2008. “ The 1991 reforms had a major impact on the economy, but there have been precious few in recent years. “ Surjit Bhalla, chairman of Oxus Investments, told AFP. “In China, the economy grows because of the government but in India, the economy grows despite the government.” — AFP

Russia’s elite keeps cushy jobs in family

ANHUI: A clerk counting stacks of Chinese 100 yuan notes at a bank in Huaibei, east China’s Anhui province. China’s economy may look strong compared to a sluggish United States and Europe, but cracks have emerged in the form of high inflation and debt that show its growth model is unbalanced, analysts say.— AFP

Japan plans $128bn in reconstruction bonds TOKYO: The Japanese government plans to issue 10 trillion yen ($128 billion) in reconstruction bonds and cut spending by 3 trillion yen to pay for more projects to rebuild the devastated northeast, the Nikkei business daily reported yesterday.

Investors are counting on reconstruction spending to help the world’s thirdlargest economy pull out from a slump caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March and to resume moderate growth in the third quarter. A government source told Reuters last week it was planning additional spending of 13 trillion yen ($165 billion) for reconstruction

projects, on top of a combined 6 trillion yen already set aside in two extra budgets. The source had said the government was considering issuing special bonds, scaling back other spending plans and selling national assets. The Ministry of Finance was planning on five -year bonds, with the government considering raising taxes to repay them, according to the source.

The Nikkei said about 8-9 trillion yen of the 13 trillion yen would be spent to improve infrastructure, while 3 trillion yen would go towards building schools and creating jobs. — Reuters

MOSCOW: Following the oligarchs of the 1990s, a new ruling class has emerged in Russia where the youthful offspring of senior officials fill top positions in the private sector, reaping the rewards of a system where power and money go hand-in-hand.

In early July, Sergei Ivanov junior, the son of Sergei Ivanov, a deputy prime minister seen as close to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, joined the board at Gazprombank, a bank affiliated with Russian gas giant Gazprom.

Born in 1980, he already in April had become chairman of the board at insurance giant Sogaz, one of Russia’s largest in the field. At 33, Pyotr Fradkov, the son of Mikhail Fradkov, a former prime minister who heads the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), has been deputy director of the Russian state development bank, Vneshekonombank, since 2007.

Dmitry Patrushev, the son of the boss of the national security and defence council, Nikolai Patrushev, also 33, last year became the president of the board of directors of the agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank, which was valued last year at more than $36 billion.

Sergei Matviyenko, 38, is the son of Petersburg governor and former diplomat Valentina Matviyenko. He works as director general of property developer VTBDevelopment, another branch of VTB. The Russian press recently has turned a spotlight on the practice, which comes after President Dmitry Medvedev ordered officials to clean up their act by standing down from positions on boards of public companies.

For Yuly Nisnevich, a member of the Transparency International campaign group and a professor at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, these wellplaced offspring are a continuation of the ‘nomenklatura’-the name for the Soviet ruling class-which reappeared after the reign of the so-called oligarchs in the 1990s. These were the businessmen who made a fortune in controversial privatizations of the 1990s and took on a dominant role in the final years of Boris Yeltsin’s presidency. — AFP

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TECHNOLOGY

Symmetrix VMAXe system extends EMC’s market reach KUWAIT: EMC Corporation yesterday introduced the new EMC(R) Symmetrix(R) VMAXe(tm) storage system, innovative storage technology designed for virtualized cloud and mission critical IT environments. The VMAXe system enables more IT organizations, both domestically and in rapidly expanding markets such as India, China, Eastern Europe and others, to accelerate their journey to cloud computing.

The Symmetrix VMAXe has the same industr y leading Vir tual Matrix Architecture(tm) and innovative software as larger Symmetrix VMAX systems used in the world’s largest data centers. Designed for organizations with limited storage

expertise and IT resources, it features a new hardware design for a smaller footprint, and built-in software for fast installation, configuration and management.

The rapid adoption of cloud computing around the world is creating exponential data growth that many organizations are struggling to manage with limited staff, space and budgets. The Symmetrix VMAXe addresses these challenges with the most sophisticated levels of storage automation, simplified management and provisioning, scalable performance, local and remote replication and the ability to simultaneously support thousands of virtual machines from VMware and others.

Symmetrix VMAXe highlights New Hardware Design: Symmetrix VMAXe combines the Vir tual Matrix Architecture, which delivers data centerclass availability, with a new Intel multicore processor-based Engine design, dense packaging and single-phase power.

It can scale up to 4 Engines and from tens to up to 960 of the latest disk and flash drives. It supports leading high-end software capabilities, including FAST VP (fully automated storage tiering with virtual pools) and EMC TimeFinder local replication software. l Provisions in M inutes: Symmetrix VMAXe can be configured in minutes with

built-in EMC Virtual Provisioning that simplifies management and improves utilization by enabling storage to be allocated as needed. l Unmatched Replication: The Symmetrix VMAXe system’s built-in integration with EMC RecoverPoint replication software, enables continuous data protection (CDP) and continuous local and remote replication (CLR and CRR) between a VMAXe and other EMC and non-EMC storage arrays for disaster recovery, migrations and any-point-in-time recovery of data. l Simplified Management: Symmetrix VMAXe provides leading software to sim-

plify the management of virtual computing environments.

This includes EMC Symmetrix Management Console and Performance Analyzer with an easy-to- navigate web GUI and real-time dashboard views and EMC PowerPath(r) SE automated path failover software for maximum availability as well as several others. l Now Available Worldwide: EMC is making high end storage capabilities available through more channels around the world than ever before. The Symmetrix VMAXe can be purchased from EMC Velocity Channel par tners or direc t from EMC immediately.

Google refocusing on start-up products: CFO Google Labs shutting down

KUNMING, China: This handout photo released by a blogger named BirdAbroad on July 20, 2011 shows a customer looking at products at an alleged fake Apple store in southwest China’s Yunan province. — AFP

Fake Chinese Apple store fooled staff BEIJING: China’s passion for iPads and iPhones has triggered widespread cloning and even brawls. Now, it has gone further with a fake Apple store so convincing even the staff think they work for Steve Jobs. The store, in the southwestern city of Kunming, was uncovered by an American blogger who was initially fooled, before she noticed not everything was as it seemed.

At first glance, the signs, computers and layout of the shop all look exactly like a genuine Apple store, says the blogger, who posts under the name BirdAbroad. Photos posted by the blogger show the employees wearing Apple’s trademark blue T-shirts with name badges hanging around their necks.

But a closer look reveals the winding stairs going up to the chill-out area are poorly made, the walls have not been painted well, and the shopfront sign says “Apple Store” whereas the real deal just sports the now-famous fruit logo.

The employees, meanwhile, all genuinely believe they work for Apple, said BirdAbroad, who asked to remain anonymous when contacted by AFP. “I do not know if the computers were real or fake-

they seemed real, but it can be hard to tell,” she said. “As of last night, the store was still open.”

She added that a quick walk around the corner revealed two other rip-off Apple stores-one of which sported a sign saying “Apple Stoer”. The Apple website lists four official stores in Chinatwo in Beijing and two in Shanghai, and none in Kunming.

It has a list of approved retailers that sell its products, but none of those in Kunming corresponds to the fake store’s address, according to the blogger. A spokeswoman for Apple China declined to comment when contacted by AFP. China is home to the biggest counterfeit market in the world, and despite repeated government pledges to root out fake goods, these are still widely available throughout the country. As the craze for all things Apple slowly spreads around China, fake iPhones and iPods have also emerged. The news, however, is unlikely to have an impact on the USbased IT giant, which on Tuesday posted record sales and profits in the recent quarter as sales of iPhones and iPads more than doubled, helped by huge demand in Asia. — AFP

ASPEN: Google co-founder Larry Page, who took over as chief executive in April, is refocusing the Internet giant on products and its “start-up philosophy,” its chief financial officer said. Patrick Pichette, speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in this Colorado ski resort, also said investors should not worry about Google earning revenue from its Android mobile operating system or its Chrome Web browser.

“With scale there always becomes this tension of how do you keep the start-up philosophy,” Pichette said of the Mountain View, California-based company which now employs over 28,000 people around the world. “We don’t want to lose our start-up philosophy,” he said.

“Through the reorg(anization), the realignment that Larry did a couple months ago, he just wanted to put focus specifically on product,” Pichette said. He said the key message Page is trying to get across is that Google is a “very young company, we are in start-up mode (and) we are going to invest for the long term.”

Page, who founded Google with Sergey Brin in 1998, replaced Eric Schmidt as CEO during the first week of April, ending a “triumvirate” management structure that Pichette said was “slowing us down.” Pichette said Google’s Chrome Web browser has attracted 160 million users and 550,000 Android-powered mobile devices are being

activated every day. “ When we have products that get resounding user and consumer success and that are growing in the hundreds of millions we don’t worry,” he said. “The only question is when and how will we monetize.

“Everybody’s all nervous about the fact it’s been 36 months since Android has launched and you only have search (revenue),” he said.

“That’s the criticism I hear.

“The questions that are asked are so shorttermish. That’s just not the way that Google thinks,” he said. Google earns revenue from searches done on Android devices but it “fuels so many other avenues of growth,” he said, citing Google Wallet, Google Payments, Google Offers and other products. Pichette also said that Google was having no trouble attracting high-quality engineering talent and its attrition rate over the first half of this year was its lowest ever. “We took a strategic decision at the end of last year which was to raise everybody ’s salary by 10 percent,” Pichette said. “Part of the strategic decision we made there was we wanted to send a signal to the market that... Google will continue to be the place of choice, and we wanted to signal that very clearly to our employees,” he said.

Pichette said 600,000 people applied for jobs at Google in first three months of the year alone. Responding to a questioner in the audience who suggested Google is not pay-

Pentagon looks to social media as new battlefield

China sub makes first dive to below 4,000m BEIJING: A Chinese submersible conducted the country’s deepest manned dive ever in the latest milestone for China’s deep-sea ambitions as it seeks to exploit the vast resources of the ocean floor. The Jiaolong undersea craft-named after a mythical sea dragon-reached 4,027 metres (13,211 feet) below sea level in a test dive in the northeastern Pacific, the State Oceanic Administration said in a statement.

“The success of this test dive has laid a solid foundation for completing the mission of diving to 5,000 metres,” it said. The craft carried three people in Thursday’s test and will attempt to reach 5,000 metres in another dive on Friday. Chinese technical capabilities have gathered pace in recent decades, exemplified by a fast-growing space programme that in 2005 made China just the third nation to conduct manned space flight.

The Jiaolong’s range theoretically gives China access to nearly all of the world’s deep-sea areas, and state news agency Xinhua quoted the administration’s director Li Cigui as saying the vessel was a “marvel” of Chinese engineering. The craft is designed to reach a maximum depth of 7,000 metres and in a dive in the South China Sea last year it made China only the fifth country to go deeper than the 3,500-metre mark, according to previous Chinese reports.

The deepest dive ever conducted was by the US Navy, which reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench-the deepest point in the world’s oceans at 11,000 metres-in 1960 in a manned undersea craft. China has pushed hard

in recent years to obtain oil, minerals and other natural resources needed to fuel its growth.

It has said its development of submersible technology is aimed at scientific research and the peaceful exploration and use of natural resources.

But China’s appetite for resources, rapid expansion of its military capabilities and increasingly strident territorial claims in the ocean have caused concern.

During the vessel’s dive to the bottom of the disputed South China Sea last year it planted a Chinese flag in the seafloor in what was seen by some as a provocative act. The South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas, is claimed in whole or in part

by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia.

Tensions in the region have spiked in recent months after several incidents at sea involving China and its neighbours. Scientists say the ocean’s floors contain rich deposits of a range of potentially valuable minerals.

However, some concerns also have been raised that deep-sea vessels could be used to tap into or sever communications cables.

China’s official Xinhua news agency has quoted officials saying the Jiaolong’s crew would conduct tests in the Pacific, including taking photos, shooting video, surveying seabeds and taking samples from the ocean floor. It also would examine possible sites for a potential future test dive to its maximum depth of 7,000 metres, Xinhua said, giving no timetable. — AFP

ing its fair share of federal taxes, Pichette said the company pays “all our taxes in every jurisdiction to the full extent that the law allows us. “We pay every penny of tax we owe to everybody everywhere,” he said. “I don’t make the laws. I’m just like every other corporation.”

Google’s effective tax rate in the second quarter of this year was 19 percent, according to its latest earnings report.

Google also earlier it is shutting down its Labs website for creations-in-progress in order to better focus its resources and energy. Google Labs was an online playground where people could dabble with early versions of new services or products being worked on by engineers at the Internet powerhouse. Pulling the plug on Labs is part of a strategy by Google chief executive Larry Page to “put more wood in fewer arrows” by prioritizing projects at the California-based company.

“While we’ve learned a huge amount by launching very early prototypes in Labs, we believe that greater focus is crucial if we’re to make the most of the extraordinary opportunities ahead,” research and systems infrastructure senior vice president Bill Coughran said in a blog post. Some Labs experiments will be incorporated into Google products or remain available as applications for devices running on Android software, according to Coughran. — AFP

BRUSSELS: European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani addresses the media at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. The European Union’s industry and enterprise commissioner says the first two operational satellites for its Galileo navigation system will be launched into space on Oct. 20, 2011. — AP

Australia mulls Facebook 18+ SYDNEY: Australia said it was considering upping the restrictions placed on Facebook, giving parents access to their children’s pages and requiring proof of age at sign-up. The social networking site has 10 million Australian users-almost half the population-and requires people to state at sign-up that they are at least 13, but there is currently no way to formally enforce the age limit.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland said some parents had complained the age limit was too young and that content

“being put up by their own children” could be “prejudicial to their future career prospects.”

A number of proposals were being considered by lawmakers, he said, including mandating a sign-up age of 18 years for Australian users and giving parents the over-riding ability to access their children’s Facebook pages. “We most cer tainly could regulate any Australian entity so that we can specify that the age of consent was 18,” he told reporters. — AFP

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is asking scientists to figure out how to detect and counter propaganda on social media networks in the aftermath of Arab uprisings driven by Twitter and Facebook. The US militar y ’s high-tech research arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has put out a request for experts to look at “a new science of social networks” that would attempt to get ahead of the curve of events unfolding on new media.

The program’s goal was to track “purposeful or deceptive messaging and misinformation” in social networks and to pursue “counter messaging of detected adversary influence operations,” according to DARPA’s request for proposals issued on July 14. The project echoes concerns among top military officers about the lightning pace of change in the Middle East, where social networks have served as an engine for protest against some longtime US allies.

Some senior officers have spoken privately of the need to better track unrest revealed in social networks and to look for ways to shape outcomes in the Arab world through Twitter, Facebook or YouTube. “Events of strategic as well as tactical importance to our Armed Forces are increasingly taking place in social media space,” the DARPA announcement said. “ We must, therefore, be aware of these events as they are happening and be in a position to defend ourselves within that space against adverse outcomes,” it said. DARPA predic ted that social net works would have a groundbreaking effect on warfare. “Changes to the nature of conflict resulting from the use of social media are likely to be as profound as those resulting from previous communications revolutions,” it said.

Under the proposal, researchers would be expected to unearth and classify the “formation, development and spread of ideas and concepts (memes)” in social media. The document cited a case in which authorities employed social media to head off a potential crisis, but did not specify details of the incident.

“For example, in one case rumors about the location of a certain individual began to spread in social media space and calls for storming the rumored location reached a fever pitch,” it said.

“By chance, responsible authorities were monitoring the social media, detected the crisis building, sent out effective messaging to dispel the rumors and averted a physical attack on the rumored location.”

DARPA planned to spend $42 million on the Social Media in Strategic Communication (SMISC) program, with prospective contractors asked to test algorithms through “experiments” with social media, it said. One possible experiment could involve a “closed social media network” of two to five thousand volunteers or an online role playing game with tens of thousands of players. — AFP

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

How to eat well and save the planet too PARIS: Eating used to be so simple. If you liked it and could afford it, down the hatch it went. Yum-yum, end of story. But the days of carefree consumption of food, alas, are a thing of the past, especially for meat lovers.

If nonstop-and contradictory-pronouncements by doctors in white smocks as to what you should or shouldn’t ingest don’t spoil your appetite, dire warnings about the ruinous impact of your favourite dish on the environment or the climate probably will.

The fact that a billion people in the world live in or close to the edge of hunger is also a sobering reminder that even basic needs should never be taken for granted. So what’s a gourmand to do?

For those who enjoy the luxury of choice, help has come in the form of what may be the most wide-ranging overview so far on how different foodstuffs-from lentils to lamb chopsimpact the environment, the fight against global warming, and the human body.

“A Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate Change and Health” is just that, a 90-

page no-nonsense manual to help define a personal comfort zone between what your taste buds crave and what your conscience will allow them to experience. Start with the rising threat of climate change, fuelled not just by gas and oil combustion but methane-belching animals and the long chain of production that brings their selected body parts to middleclass dinner tables the world over.

“Our assessment calculates the ‘cradle-to-grave’ carbon footprint of each food item based on greenhouse gas emissions generated before and after the food leaves the farm,” said Kari Hamerschlag, a senior analyst at the non-profit Environmental Working Group in Washington DC. The analysis, jointly conducted with the Portland, Oregon-based CleanMetrics Corporation, also includes the pesticides and fertilisers used to grow animal feed, the raising of livestock, as well as the processing, transportation and cooking that follows.

Even disposal of leftovers-a major source of emissions and pollution, as it turns out-are taken into account.

The same criteria are applied to vari-

ous farmed fish, grains, dairy products and vegetables too. ‘Skip steak once a week’- No surprise, meat is the prime offender across almost all categories considered.

But as is true of George Orwell’s bestiary in “Animal Farm”, not all edible critters are equal, at least not when it comes to their harmful impact. Pound-for-pound, lamb is the worst carbon polluter, generating nearly 40 kilos (86 pounds) of CO2equivalent for every kilo (2.2 pounds) eaten. The next most carbon-intensive animal-also a cud-chewing ruminanton the list is beef, with emissions of 27 kilos (60 pounds) per kilo.

Looked at another way, eating a modest 110-gramme (four-ounce) slice of braised lamb shank is the equivalent of driving a mid-sized car for 21 kilometres (13 miles). The same amount of beef works out to just over half that distance. “If your family of four skips steak once a week, it’s like taking your car off the road for nearly three months,” Hamerschlag said.

Americans eat more meat-exceeding Europeans by 60 percent-than most other developed nations, with

100 kilos (220 pounds) produced each year for every man, woman and child.

But burgeoning middle -class appetites in rapidly emerging economies, led by China, are closing the gap with frightening speed, recent studies have shown.

In terms of health, the study reviews the well-known hazards of excess meat consumption, including heart disease, diabetes and obesity. It also highlights the widespread and controversial use of antibiotics for livestock and, in the United States, growth hormones.

‘Veggies are virtuous’- The next culprit on the scale of climate and environmental impacts is cheese, mainly because of the large quantities of milk needed to produce it. Farm-raised salmon, chicken and turkey are all on a par when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, but pigs-the most widely-eaten meat in the world, with China accounting for half of global consumption-are in a category of their own when it comes to environmental impact. Runoff from waste into fresh water sources and even the ocean are especially problematic.

As is the fact that global consumption of all meats combined has soared, from about 70 million tonnes in 1960 to about 300 million tonnes today.

Wasted food, the study found, accounts for fully a fifth of the carbon emissions linked to meat and dairy products in the US, with other rich countries not far behind.

“Reducing waste and buying only as much as you can eat is the easiest way to reduce greenhouse gases and other environmental impacts,” it said.

Inescapably, inevitably, ineluctably, the report arrives at this conclusion: vegetables are virtuous. Especially lentils. That’s a hard truth for meat lovers. But there is advice here even for hardcore carnivores who cannot, or will not, kick the habit. “Meat, eggs and dairy products that are certified organic, humane or grass-fed are generally the least environmentally damaging,” Hamerschlag said, with some studies pointing to health benefits too. In the end, American nutritionist Michael Pollan’s seven-word mantra may be all the advice one needs: “Eat [real] food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” —AFP

Malaria mosquito trap gets $750,000 grant Foot odors are key

WILLINGBORO: In this June 14, 2011 photo, bottles of prescription drugs as labeled Lipitor, TriCor, Plavix, Singulair, Lexapro and Avapro are displayed at Medco Health Solutions Inc., in Willingboro, N.J. The cost of prescription medicines used by millions of people every day is about to plummet. The next 15 months will bring generic versions of seven of the world’s 20 best-selling drugs, including the top two: cholesterol fighter Lipitor and blood thinner Plavix. — AP

HEALTH BRIEF Buildings can make you sick BERLIN: Working people who complain of stinging eyes, a scratchy throat, runny nose or headaches may need to look no further than their indoor workplace for the culprit. The condition is often referred to as “sick building syndrome,” which seldom has a single cause. It can be the indoor climate, air, noise, lighting or psychological factors. Poor lighting, for example, impairs job performance.

According to the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), insufficient light could lead to “visual overstrain” that manifests itself in headaches, stinging and watery eyes, and flickering in front of one’s eyes.

Offices should therefore have windows large enough to let in sufficient sunlight. The IFA said that being able to see outside also had a positive effect on well-being, and thus on job motivation and performance.

Depressed men escape work BERLIN: Men with depression behave differently than their female counterparts and often try to cope by spending a lot of time at work or on sports, or by excessive smoking or drinking, noted Bernhard Croissant, head physician at the Christoph Dornier Clinic for Psychotherapy in the German city of Muenster. Constant tension, lowered stress tolerance and hostile or aggressive behaviour can also be signs of depression, Croissant said. Women, on the other hand, tend to lose their interests and be lethargic and dejected. Most cases of male depression go unrecognized and untreated. Symptoms are often misdiagnosed as alcohol dependence or a personality disorder. Men’s

self-image often keeps them from seeking help and they escape from their feelings of weakness by increasing their activity. When men do seek mental health treatment, care is therefore taken that they slow down and take regular breaks. At the same time, men have to learn not to define themselves only by how they perform.

Coffee reduces liver cancer SINGAPORE: A study involving ethnic Chinese residents of Singapore found that drinking three or more cups of coffee a day could reduce the risk of liver cancer by 44 per cent, The Straits Times newspaper reported Saturday.

Researchers at the Department of Epidemiology of the National University of Singapore suggested two oils found in coffee beans, cafestol and kahweol, have liver-protecting properties. The research - begun in 1993 and involving more than 63,000 ethnic Chinese men and women aged 45 to 74, populations considered at higher risk of liver cancer added to a growing body of evidence contradicting the long-held notion that coffee is bad for the health. Associate professor Koh Woon Puay, who was involved in the study recently published in the US journal Cancer Causes and Control, said the finding meant coffee drinkers could now worry less about liver cancer. “Coffee has often had to fight its bad image, compared with tea, which is often portrayed very positively,” Koh was quoted as saying. But a study by her team on green tea drinking found that it had delivered no protection against the disease. A 2008 coffee-drinking study found that drinking four or more cups a day might lower the risk of diabetes by 30 per cent. — dpa

Chinese medicine could treat Parkinson’s HONG KONG: Chinese medicine may be effective in battling certain symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and lessening side effects from the drugs used to treat the condition, according to a new study.

Researchers at Hong Kong Baptist University said Gouteng, a traditional Chinese herb used to treat hypertension, helped patients better communicate and made them less prone to depression and sleeping difficulties. “There is no cure for Parkinson’s right now, but the study showed Chinese medicine can help treat the disease,” a university spokesman told AFP Thursday.

Parkinson’s is a progressive motor-system disorder which usually affects people over the age of 50, although it can strike earlier, often causing severe symptoms including body trembling, stiffness and loss of balance. The condition is usually treated with a drug called levodopa, which the

brain converts into dopamine to relieve the symptoms, but it can also cause nausea and hallucinations.

The Baptist University study found that patients who took Gouteng together with levodopa experienced fewer side effects from the drug while showing a marked improvement in their communication skills.

Li Min, an associate professor who led the study, said the findings could also help boost the profile of Chinese medicine.

“They provide not only pharmacological proof of the efficacy of Gouteng in treating Parkinson’s disease, but will also help promote the effectiveness and safety of Chinese medicine to the international medical arena,” she said.

Li-whose team has applied for a US patent-told the South China Morning Post that she expects the herb would start being used to treat the disease after the second phase of the study in 2013. — AFP

WASHINGTON: In an age where incurable diseases like cancer and AIDS grab public attention, the preventable and treatable disease of malaria continues to claim the lives of 800,000 people every year, particularly in the poorest areas of Africa.

Now, researchers from Tanzania are saying enough is enough. They are using the synthetic odour of dirty socks to lure malaria-transmitting mosquitoes to their death in an attempt to eliminate fatalities entirely.

“Malaria has claimed so many lives, including those of people close to me, and my hope is that this innovative device will be part of the solution,” lead developer Fredros Okumu of Kenya said in a statement last week.

The project, based at Tanzania’s Ifakara Health Institute, received 750,000 dollars in added grant money to support refinements of a prototype trap and development of its mass production over the next two years, according to an announcement

by the donors - the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Grand Challenges Canada, which is funded by Canada’s government.

The Gates Foundation gave researchers their initial start with a 100,000 dollar grant in May 2009. Typically in Africa, bed nets and mosquito repellant sprays are used to keep people safe from the malaria-carrying anopheles mosquito within their homes.

But Okumu said that the new device was designed to target the mosquitoes outside of the home, where over 80 per cent of malaria transmissions occur.

Okumu said mosquitoes are typically attracted to chemicals released by humans through the skin, breath and sweat.

“Mosquitoes don’t see people, they smell people,” Okumu told the dpa in an interview over Skype.

In the first stage of development, researchers found that the synthetic dirty-sock odour - a combination of nine chemicals in

humans - could attract four times as many malaria-carrying mosquitoes as a normal human.

Using the smell to their advantage, researchers added toxins to the mix that latch onto the mosquitoes’ legs when they land on the device, and eventually kill them. “Mosquitoes are attracted to the smell, thinking they are going to get blood, but actually they are poisoned and die within 24 hours,” Okumu said.

Placed at a 30-metre distance from the home, the device was shown to have the potential to kill 74 to 95 per cent of all mosquitoes that visit the area. In theory, a village of 1,000 people would need between 20 and 125 devices to totally eliminate malaria transmission.

But Okumu stressed that the device would not be a “standalone” solution to Africa’s malaria problem. “We don’t hope to have the holy grail at the end of 2 years,” Okumu said. “What we hope to achieve is proof that it is possible that this device can com-

plement the benefits of the devices we have already approved for indoor.”

“As a complementary strategy it could help us drive malaria transmission to much lower levels, perhaps even below the threshold that you need to achieve malaria elimination,” Okumu said.

The additional funding will allow researchers to work on four key issues over the next years: improve the device so that it can last up to five years in any weather without much maintenance; estimate how much it will reduce malaria transmission; pinpoint where the devices will have the greatest impact; and explore ways of affordable production.

If all goes according to plan, Okumu believes that a working device could conceivably be available to the public by 2016, with malaria-elimination in Africa following soon after.

“We would be very happy if it turned out that this is the end game,” Okumu said. — dpa

Bulgarians celebrate the art of home-made yoghurt

SOFIA: Bulgarian Orthodox monk Kliment prepares yoghurt on July 19 in the Zhableno monastery. — AFP

SOFIA: A man tests a homemade yoghurt during the “Day of Yoghurt” celebration in the town of Tran, some 70 km westh of Sofia. — AFP

TRAN: On a Saturday in July, some 20 men and women stood behind pots and jars of homemade yoghurt at Tran’s pensioners’ club, feverishly awaiting the jury’s pronouncement on their concoctions.

Every year in mid-July, the small town of Tran, huddled at the foot of the Balkan mountains near Bulgaria’s border with Serbia, celebrates the art of making yoghurt and commemorates the local scientist who discovered the bacteria that turns milk into its thickened sour form-a food seen as the pearl of Bulgarian gastronomic heritage.

Oblivious to the speeches and folk dances on the main square however, retired teacher Evgenia Dimitrova and her companions preferred to compete on who made the best goat’s, sheep’s, cow’s or buffalo’s milk yoghurt. “I keep my mother’s yoghurt starter culture, which she got from her mother,” said Dimitrova who came from the nearby village of Lomnica.

“I never forget to keep a spoonful of yoghurt to use as ferment for

also started to produce and sell traditional yoghurt.

‘Homeland of yoghurt’- The Zhableno monastery in western Bulgaria prepares 750 kilogrammes (1,650 pounds) of its popular cow’s milk yoghurt a week and sells it in Sofia too. “Anyone who has tasted homemade yoghurt cannot get used to the industrially-made product stuffed with thickening and colouring substances,” said Father Kliment, who is in charge of yoghurt production at the monastery.

“True yoghurt cannot be anything but Bulgarian-made as the bacteria for its fermentation does not exist anywhere else but here,” he added, repeating the widespread myth.

It was Stamen Grigorov, a medical student born in the Tran region, who discovered the bacteria used to make yoghurtLactobacillus bulgaricus (LBB) upon studying the food habits in Bulgaria’s southern Rhodope mountains. LBB and another bacteria-Streptococcus thermophilus-

tomorrow’s milk,” she added.

Dimitrova’s original recipe for goat’s milk yoghurt with basil and thyme won the top prize in her category-amusingly, a basket of dairy products.

Bulgaria prides itself on discovering yoghurt and has even given its name to the bacteria that makes it: Lactobacillus bulgaricus (LBB). “Set the milk to boil to kill the bad bacteria. When it turns lukewarm, add a spoonful of yoghurt, stir and close the jar, and wrap it up. In three hours the yoghurt is ready,” Stamen Tsvetkov, whose family won the prize for best sheep’s milk yoghurt in Tran, explained the preparation process.

The thickness of the yoghurt depends on the animals and the grazing they get: drier pastures make the yoghurt thicker than greener ones, while sheep and buffaloes give richer milk than cows and goats, he explained.

While villagers usually sell small amounts of their homemade yoghurt to friends and neighbours, many Bulgarian monasteries have

are indispensable in the making of yoghurt, insists Julia Grigorova, the scientist’s grand-daughter. But the question of who made the first yoghurt and who introduced it to whom during Ottoman times remains a topic of heated debates between Bulgaria and Turkey, which are both fond of “ayran”, a refreshing beverage of yoghurt and cold water.

For Zdravko Nikolov, laboratory chief at Bulgaria’s yoghurt institute LBBulgaricum, the answer is clear.

“Bulgaria is the homeland of yoghurt as here only Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus develop in symbiosis in nature,” he said. “Elsewhere in Europe the symbiosis of the two microorganisms is obtained artificially.”

Bulgarians consume 135,000 tons of yoghurt every year and the product is part of many traditional dishes, like the “tarator” cold yoghurt and cucumber soup, and the “Snow White” salad of drained yoghurt, pickled cucumbers, garlic and walnuts. — AFP

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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

health& science

Going into hospital far riskier than flying GENEVA: Millions of people die each year from medical errors and infections linked to health care and going into hospital is far riskier than flying, the World Health Organisation said last week. “If you were admitted to hospital tomorrow in any country... your chances of being subjected to an error in your care would be something like 1 in 10. Your chances of dying due to an error in health care would be 1 in 300,” Liam Donaldson, the WHO’s newly appointed envoy for patient safety, told a news briefing.

This compared with a risk of dying in an air crash of about 1 in 10 million passengers, according to Donaldson, formerly England’s chief medical officer. “It shows that health care generally worldwide still has a long way to go,” he said.

Hundreds of millions of people suffer infections linked to health care each year. Patients should ask questions and be part of decisionmaking in hospitals, which must use basic hygiene standards and WHO’s checklist to ensure safe surgical pro-

cedures were followed.

More than 50 percent of acquired infections can be prevented if health care workers clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based handrub before treating patients. Of every 100 hospitalised patients at any given time, 7 in developed and 10 in developing countries will acquire at least one health care-associated infection, according to the United Nations agency.

“The longer patients stay in an ICU (intensive care unit), the more at risk they become of acquiring an infection,” it said. Medical devices such as urinary catheters and ventilators are associated with high infection rates.

Each year in the United States, 1.7 million infections are acquired in hospital, leading to 100,000 deaths, a far higher rate than in Europe where 4.5 million infections cause 37,000 deaths, according to WHO. “Health care is a high-risk business, inevitably, because people are sick and modern health care is delivered

in a fast-moving, high-pressured environment involving a lot of complex technology and a lot of people,” Donaldson said.

A heart operation can involve a team of up to 60 people, about the same number needed to run a jumbo jet, he said. “Infection is a big problem, injuries after falls in hospitals is a big problem and then there are problems that are on a smaller scale but result in preventable deaths. Medication errors are common,” he said.

Risk is even higher in developing countries, with about 15 percent of patients acquiring infections, said Dr. Benedetta Allegranzi of the WHO’s “Clean Care is Safer Care” programme. “The risk is really higher in high-risk areas of the hospitals, in particular ICUs or neonatal units in developing countries.” About 100,000 hospitals worldwide now use the WHO’s surgical safety checklist, which the agency said has been shown to reduce surgery complications by 33 percent and deaths by 50 percent. — Reuters

breath deeply

Men’s hormones blamed for liver cancer risk HONG KONG: Sex hormones are to blame for men’s higher susceptibility to liver cancer, according to a study by researchers at a Hong Kong university, a newspaper report said.

The Chinese University study found that liver cancer was exceptionally active when the protein receptor of the male sex hormone took control of one of the 17,000 genes in the body, the South China Morning Post said.

Liver cancer is the third most deadly cancer in the world. University vice-chancellor Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu said: “Every one of us has this gene,” called cell cycle-related kinase.

Sung added, “The key is whether it’ll be activated and how much of it is in your body. During liver cancer development, the gene is abnormally activated, which in turn allows cells to grow at an abnormally high rate. It’s like awakening a longdormant gene.”

During an ongoing three-year research project

scientists at the university’s Institute of Digestive Disease found that about 70 per cent of the 50 liver cancer patients involved in the study produced high levels of the gene. They were also more likely to die sooner than those with low levels of the gene.

The scientists found that proteins uniquely present in men directly controlled the gene, which was critical for inducing processes that led to abnormal cell growth and tumour formation.

This was why globally the disease was seven times more frequent in men than women in 2007, they said. Locally, men were three times more likely to be prone to the killer cancer than women. In 2008, out of 1,745 new cases of liver cancer, men accounted for more than 1,200.

Sung said now the gene has been proven to promote liver cancer targeted therapy can be developed to treat it. He said he expected medication to be ready in five to 10 years. — dpa

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s - 65561619 TEL: 24734000 6 shifakuwait@gmail.com shifak uwait@g gmail.com w www.shifakuwait.com ww.shifakuwait.com Workiing Hours: 8.00 am m tto o 12:00am Working

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Announcements Your diet Come and join us tomorrow, (Tuesday July 26) at 7 pm for a free lecture “Your Diet During Ramadan.” We look forward to seeing you there!

To find out more, call 9967-2918 or email hanlon_elaine@hotmail.com. The lecture will be in Arabic.

Kala-Malayalam classes

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he free Malayalam classes by Kerala Art Lovers Association, Kala-Kuwait is progressing very well in the Farwainya and Riggae regions. Mathrubhasha General Convener Janardhanan inaugurated the classes in these regions. Anna Vinod is taking the classes at the residence of Vinod John at Riggae where as the classes at Benny Gerorge’s house in Farwaniya is taken

by T.P.Sreedharan. Padmanadbhan, Rajesh K.R, and Vinod K. John are handling the Malayalam class activities in these regions.

Greetings

NSS elects office bearers

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air Service Society (NSS) Kuwait congratulated the newly elected office bearers P.K. Narayana Panicker (President) & G. Sukumaran Nair (General Secretary) and assured all the support from the community members in Kuwait.

K.P. Manikandan, General Secretary, Nair Service Society (NSS) Kuwait, presented a resolution in this regard and congratulat-

ed the incumbents.

Muraleekrishnan P (President) presided over the function, Prasad P (Treasurer),. Lalu P (Charity Coordinator), M.R. Raveendran Nair (Vice President), Damodaran Nair and K Raveendran Nair (Advisory Council Members) recalled their contributions to the society, firm leadership and the gracious services rendered so far.

Elected Pradhinidhi Sabha

Members from all the five areas, Fahaheel/Mangaf, Abuhalifa/Mahboula, Salmiya/Sharq, Abbasiya/Hasawi, Riggai/Ferwaniya gathered at Chachu’s Hall in Abbasiya and expressed their greetings, support and cooperation to the for the new leadership to achieve the goals of NSS as envisioned by Samudayacharyan Mannathu Padmanabhan.

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller CEO elected member of Global Governing Board of IPRA

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he International Public Relations Association (IPRA), the world’s most influential professional association for senior international public relations executives, has constituted its new global governing body comprising members from six different regions including West Asia, Asia & Oceania, Africa, Europe, North America and South America.

Sunil John, Chief Executive Officer of ASDA’A BursonMarsteller, a WPP company and part of the MENACOM (Middle East and North Africa Communications) Group, has been elected as one of the two members representing the West Asia region in IPRA’s new global governing body.

Along with Zehra Gungor, founder and managing director of STAGE Communications in Turkey, John will represent the PR industry of the region, highlighting the opportunities and challenges faced by the sector to a global audience.

John said: “The public relations industry in the Middle East and wider West Asia is witnessing unprecedented shifts led by the epochal socio-political changes sweeping the region.

The prominence given to West Asia by IPRA underlines the global attention for public relations services in the region. The election to the governing body of IPRA serves as an opportunity to highlight the true dynamics of

the region’s PR industry and share industry best practices with international professionals.”

The new IPRA governing body, will be led by Richard Linning of UK as President for 2011; Johanna McDowell of South Africa as President-elect for 2012; Elizabeth Ananto of Indonesia (President 2010) and Nigel Chism of UK (Treasurer).

The other members of the board are Mike Okereke (Nigeria), Loula Zaklama (Egypt) - Africa region; Ajit Pathak (India) - Asia & Oceania; Alexandre Cordeiro (Portugal), Bart de Vries (Netherlands), Christophe Ginisty (France) and Philip Sheppard (Belgium) - Europe; Jim McQueeny - North America; and Amybel Sanchez de Walther (Peru) - South America.

The first formal meeting of the new governing body will be held on October 22 in Istanbul, Turkey, in conjunction with the IPRA Golden World Awards gala.

IKEA introduces exciting Iftar menu for Ramadan

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KEA Kuwait has introduced a delicious Iftar menu for the Holy month of Ramadan at its restaurant. IKEA Kuwait’s menus are sure to be enjoyed by our customers.

Shoppers visiting the store can enjoy specially prepared Ramadan delicacies by the in house chefs.

Each day has a different dish on offer for shoppers. At IKEA Kuwait’s store, shoppers can enrich their taste buds on Sunday with the specially prepared Chicken Majboos.

While, on Monday shoppers can enjoy the Zubeidi Muttabak.

Shoppers visiting the store on Tuesday can try the Lamb Koftas.

The dish is prepared with traditional spices, sure to tingle your taste buds. On Wednesday, shoppers can enjoy the traditional Shrimps Briyani. With the commencement of the shrimp season, this dish is worth a try. On Thursday, IKEA chefs will be serving the Grilled Hammour fillet, while on Friday shoppers can enjoy the Grilled Lamb chops. On

Belated birthday wishes to Ryan Wacal who celebrated his birthday on July 12. May you have more birthdays to come and good health. Greetings coming from Aiyman, Tamer, tita Marlyn and papa and Mama

Congratulations The school management and staff members of Pakistan School and College, Salmiya, congratulate Isra Tariq Minhas d/o Tariq Mohammood Mihas bearing Roll No. 957017 who stood third in Kuwait and first in the school by securing 491 marks in the SSC Part I annual examination 2011. The examination was conducted by Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Islamabad, Pakistan.

Aware lecture A lecture at AWARE centre by Dr Theresa Lesher During the Holy month of Ramadan, many changes occur in Kuwait. Restaurants will change their working hours as will most workplaces and shopping malls. Traffic patterns also change and one may find their paperwork halted. There are laws and many tips that will help the western expatriate better understand the etiquette and rules associated with this month.

Join us for a guideline of how to best experience the month of Ramadan with your Muslim neighbor and colleagues. Dr. Teresa holds her PhD in Information Science from the UK and is now assistant professor at Kuwait’s teachers college. She held the position as manager of the AWARE Center for three years and returns often to host presentations related to Arab and Islamic culture. Date: July 26 at 7 pm at Villa 84, Surra Street, Block 3, Surra Area.

Attention kids!

CEF VBS 11 starting from August 22nd 2011. Six exciting days of singing, games & bible stories for children of all ages. Hurry !!!. Limited Seats.

Register Online: www.cefkuwait.org Tulukoota talent hunt Tulukoota Kuwait will hold a “Talent Hunt 2011” a chance to prove an inborn trait in you that confirms your individuality, uniqueness. So step forward to grab this opportunity to show your caliber and entertain. Dance, music, art or any special talent- now is your chance to showcase it - and be part of this year’s Talent Hunt & Tulu Parba. Talent Hunt event is open to all Tuluvas.

For more information and registration form kindly log on to our Website: www.tulukootakuwait.org or visit our facebook page - Tulukoota Kuwait Talent Hunt 2011. You could also email your form request to: secretary@tulukootakuwait.org or contact our area coordinators mentioned below. Mangaf, Fahaheel, Abuhalifa : Ronald Dsouza- 60035824, Shalini Alva- 23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna Shetty- 99006934, Kripa Gatty- 66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq : Rekha Sachu- 65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana- 66585077 Sanath Shetty67712409.

Pathanamthitta’s Onam The executive committee of Pathanamthitta District Association has decided to hold 2011 Onam Festival celebrations on Friday October 28, 2011 with a grand public function attended

by Member of Parliament from Pathanamthitta Loksabha Constituency, Anto Antony and other prominent dignitaries from Kerala and Kuwait.

All residents of Pathanamthitta District and persons of Pathanamthitta District origin are hereby invited to attend this function and friends and families.

Art salon Bouhshari Art Gallery Exhibition runs through 15 September. Daily working hours: 10am - 1pm and 5 - 9pm, except on Friday and on Thursday evening.

Indian bowling league Indian Bowling League Season 2 would like to invite you and your families to participate in an Indian bowling event where all nationalities, the young and the old can have fun playing an enjoyable game while meeting new people in a healthy competition from July 12th - August 15th For more details contact: Uly 99503348, Amaldo 66052062, and Nasha 99516960. If anyone is looking to assist them in this event with sponsors, they will be really obliged to have your help to make this event a success.

Registrations are open.

Rink soccer Don Bosco Oratory is pleased to announce its Major 4-A-Side “Rink Soccer Fiesta” in Kuwait!

This event is for the soccer lovers in Kuwait and will be played on a League (round robin) cum knock out basis from August 2nd at the IEAS Quadrangle in Salmiya. Last date to register for participation is on July 28th. Draws will be announced on the July 30th. For details contact Chris: 6651-9627, Alex: 66069282 from 6-9pm.

Aware Arabic courses

Saturday, shoppers can also enjoy Iftar with Shish Tawouk.

Each of the Iftar meals comes with Lentil soup, mixed green salad, Qamaruddin (traditional Ramadan drinks), Laban, Arabic sweets and dates.

The complete IFTAR menu is at even lower price this year, with just KD 2.750 per person and in addition to the IFTAR menu the IKEA restaurant Swedish specialities are also served during the Holy month of Ramadan.

“The AWARE Management is glad to announce that Ramadan Arabic language courses will begin on August 7th till September 15th, 2011. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community.

We cater to teachers, travelers & those working in the private business sector.

AWARE Arabic courses highlight ● Introductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics ● Better prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic ● Combine language learning with cultural insights ● Taught in multi-nationality group settings ● Provide opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs.

For more information, call 25335260 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw

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Embassy Information EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA In order to inform that 23rd of October 2011, will be Argentine national election where all Argentinean citizen residents permanently in Kuwait can vote only if they are registered at the Electoral Register of the Argentine Embassy. The procedure of inscription ended on 25 of April 2011. To register it is necessary that Argentinean citizens should come personally at the Argentinean Embassy (Block 6, street 42, villa 57, Mishref ) and present the DNI and four personal photos (size 4x4, face should be front on white background). For further information, contact us on 25379211.

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Unique Ramadan experience at JW Marriott Kuwait Hotel

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he JW Marriott Kuwait Hotel announced it has launched series of festivities and special offers to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan this year. Layaly JW Marriott El Ramadiniya offers all diners a lavish Iftar and Sohour buffet in an exquisite and large indoor Ramadan tent located at the Al Jahra Ballroom on the first floor sponsored by Al Zayani “London Taxi”, Tanagra, Zain, Etihad Airways, Home Selection, IKEA, Hassan’s optics, Damas Jewellery, Kuwait Airways, Morad Yousuf Behbehani, Kefan Optics and Joyalukkas Jewellery.

Complete with rich drapery, comfortable cushions and seating, the ambience of the magnificent tent reflects the

warmth and generosity of the true spirit of Ramadan in addition to private tents for families.

For KD 10 per person for the Iftar & Sohour buffet, diners can begin by breaking their fast with delicious dates and laban followed by tantalizing cuisine. The Iftar buffet serves more than 50 varieties of International food including Kuwaiti, Egyptian and Lebanese specialties. Subject to 15% service charge. The Iftar and Sohour buffet features various live cooking stations serving pasta, Saj, Shawerma, foul medames and the traditional Lamb Ouzi, a favorite dish on the buffet. A special cart featuring various nuts and preserved fruits including dates will be fea-

tured accompanied by traditional Arabic decorations and chandeliers.

During Sohour, diners will have the opportunity to listen to Authentic Arabic live music, watch their favorite Ramadan shows on large screens featured on Al Rai TV while enjoying shisha of different flavors. There will be also weekly raffle draws on gifts and airline tickets.

Everyone enjoys home cooked meal , our chefs have prepared delicious starters along with main dishes featuring international cuisines including mutton briyani; chicken mouloukhya; fish sayadia; oriental mixed grill; lamb harres; Beef Stew with black olives; celery pilaf rice; fareed lamb; whole fish

hara sauce; shish barak; lamb bamia; kofta bilsinaya; tomato rice and roast beef with roasted potatoes.

Complete your meal with Arabic sweets and desserts such as mixed baklawa; cheese kunafa; Um Ali; halawa bil jibin and kellaj. Also, don’t miss out on the French pastries and blueberry cheese cake along with Ramadan juices including jalab; kamaraldin & tamarindi.

There are also special offers for groups of 25 or more for only KD 6.5 per person also 1 person to dine free of charge for every 10 people and free parking for groups above 10.

Guests can enjoy further special discounts by utilizing their executive dining card.

EMBASSY OF BANGLADESH The Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait will follow office hours during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Sunday to Thursday : 09:00 A.M 3:00 PM. Friday and Saturday : Weekly Holidays.

This is for information of all concerned.

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EMBASSY OF BRITAIN The Visa Application Centre (VAC) will be closed on the same dates above. The opening hours of the Visa Application Centre are 0930 - 1630 Application forms remain available online from the UKBAs’ website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or from the Visa Application Centre’s website: www.vfs-ukkw.com. And also, from the UK Visa Application Centre located at: 4B, First Floor, Al Banwan Building (Burgan Bank Branch Office Building), Al Qibla area, opposite Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City. For any further inquiries, please contact the Visa Application Centre: Website: www.vfs-uk-kw.com E-mail:info@vfs-uk-kw.com Telephone:22971170.

The Consular Section will also be closed on the same dates. For information on the British Embassy services, visit the British Embassy website: www.ukinkuwait.fco.gov.uk ■■■■■■■

Winners and participants pose for a photograph following the competition with David Des Dicang Philippine Labor Attache to Kuwait (dressed in a polo shirt) along with sponsors. —Photos by Ben Garcia

Arsenio Agpoon crowned body building champion

By Ben Garcia

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rsenio Agpoon was declared the winner of the recently concluded first Philippines Body Building competition held in Kuwait. The event was held last Friday at Al-Zumereida Hall in Salwa, organized by the Philippines Body Builders and Fitness Association of Kuwait.

Arsenio, who recently won a silver medal at the Asian Body Building competition held in Hong Kong last month, competed with 20 other contenders who participated in the Small, Medium and Tall categories. Arsenio took home two trophies, also winning the Tall cate-

gory and the grand winner’s trophy, in addition to a return air ticket to the Philippines. “I am happy to win this major award and I share this with the other competitors,” he said. “We all competed to showcase our talent and our body as a result of our determination and hard work. Most of all, we share great discipline as fitness and body building professionals.” Most of the attendees were Kuwaiti body building students who supported their body building instructors. The list of winners are as follows: [Small Category] Enrique Alimbulo- first place, Fredie Untalansecond place and Jerry Romasanta-third place. [Medium Category] Pablo Jufort-

first place, Levy Pangan-second place, Jonathan Pateno-third place, [Tall Category] Arsenio Agpoon- first place, Relly Kalugdan and Richard Baylon-tied in the second place position, and Allan Tirso-third place.

The first place winners were asked to showcase their mandatory poses to win the grand title. Nelson Totanes and Gerald Pangan, displayed their wellshaped bodies in front of the thrilled audiences. The two are well-known international title holders of several international body building competitions, awards and titles. Judges included Rolando Bayoco, a former Mr Philippines and contestant for Mr

Universe and three times Mr Kuwait Athlete of the year. Ricardo Soriano: Former Mr Philippines 2003, 2009, fifth place Oxygen Mr. Kuwait 2005, Athlete of the year Peter Fitz: Owner and Manager of Fit4Fun, Vithel Company and Adeeb Shuihaiber: Newscaster, Radio and television personality, 99.7 and KTV 2.

The event was sponsored by ASEAK, Pag Ibig Fund, Jumbo Travel, Soc Land, Power Punch, Western Union, and Ulrich Oehmen. David Des Dicang, Philippine Labor Attache to Kuwait welcomed the growing number of Filipino fitness and body building professionals in Kuwait who are well-respected.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.

The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form. All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed.

To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website. As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

The forms are available on the internet at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/I MM5257E.PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/ 5256E.PDF. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com ■■■■■■■

The panel of judges.

Cross section of attendees.

Kala, Kuwait-literary competition

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ala, Kuwait is providing a golden oppor tunity for talented Keralite writers in Kuwait to present their literary creations either story or poetry. As informed by the office bearers, the winners of the best selected creations of this literary com-

petition will receive mementos and cash award. Kala president Sam Pynumood presided the meeting in which General Secretar y R.Naganathan presented the report.

The literary creations both story and poetr y should be proven

absolutely that its a new and self written creation as well as not published before. Stories should not exceed 5 pages. The literary creations can be emailed to kalaonweb@gmail.com or it can be directly handed to Kala centre before August 30th. For more infor-

mation; Kindly contact 24317875, 97817100 or 66656642.

The organizing committee which was held at Kala Centre was welcomed

by Literary wing secretary Manikantan while Joint Secretary Vinod K.John rendered the vote of thanks.

EMBASSY OF INDIA Embassy of India, would like to inform that application forms for passport/visa services and labour contracts that are on its website, www.indembkwt.org, have been upgraded to include the facility for online data entry. Affidavit forms on the Embassy website have had this facility since May 6, 2009.

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EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk

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Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Untamed & Uncut World Wild Vet The Afterlife Whale Wars Animal Cops Miami Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Meerkat Manor The Really Wild Show Farm Life Breed All About It Dogs vs. Cats Dogs 101 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Meerkat Manor Wildlife SOS Animal Park: Wild on the West

00:25 00:55 01:40 02:30 03:15 04:00 04:30 04:50 05:10 05:40 05:50 06:10 06:30 07:00 07:20 07:40 08:10 08:20 08:40 09:00 09:30 09:40 10:40 11:25 12:20 12:50 13:20 14:10 15:45 16:35 17:20 17:50 18:20 19:10 20:00 20:45 21:15 21:45 22:40 23:25

One Foot In The Grave The Weakest Link Ray Mears Goes Walkabout The Weakest Link The Fixer 2 Point 4 Children Tweenies Balamory Tikkabilla Charlie And Lola Tweenies Balamory Tikkabilla Tweenies Balamory Tikkabilla Charlie And Lola Tweenies Balamory Tikkabilla Charlie And Lola 2 Point 4 Children The Weakest Link Monarch Of The Glen Doctors One Foot In The Grave Ray Mears Goes Walkabout 2 Point 4 Children Monarch Of The Glen The Weakest Link Doctors One Foot In The Grave Ray Mears Goes Walkabout Monarch Of The Glen The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City The Fixer Live At The Apollo

Animal Cops Houston Animal Precinct SSPCA: On the Wildside The Really Wild Show Jeff Corwin Unleashed Natural Born Hunters Cats 101 Breed All About It Orangutan Island Crocodile Hunter Dogs 101

00:10 Masterchef Australia 01:45 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 02:10 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 02:40 The Naked Chef 04:20 Masterchef Australia 07:20 Glamour Puds 08:55 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 09:40 Antiques Roadshow 10:30 Masterchef Australia 11:15 The Naked Chef 11:45 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 12:30 Antiques Roadshow 13:25 Cash In The Attic 14:15 Bargain Hunt 15:00 Come Dine With Me 15:45 Masterchef Australia

00:00 BBC World News 00:10 My Country 01:00 BBC World News 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 BBC World News 02:10 World Features 02:30 Our World 03:00 Newsday 03:30 India Business Report 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today

00:00 00:30 01:00 03:00 03:45 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00

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African Voices World Sport World Report World Business Today CNN Marketplace Middle East Piers Morgan Tonight Talk Asia Ireport For CNN World Sport Revealed World Report The Best Of Backstory World Report World Sport Talk Asia World Business Today World One World Sport African Voices Fareed Zakaria Gps News Stream World Business Today International Desk The Brief World Sport Prism International Desk African Voices Quest Means Business Piers Morgan Tonight Connect The World

Ulee’s Gold-PG After Dark, My Sweet The Red Shoe Diaries-18 Wild Orchid Just Another Story-PG

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 10:00 12:05 13:30 15:05 16:30 17:55 19:30 22:00 23:35 23:50

Man Of LA Mancha-PG Sibling Rivalry-PG Mystery Date-PG Road Rage-PG Nashville Beat-PG Speechless-PG The Group-PG A Green Journey-PG Mgm’s Big Screen-FAM Stigmata

00:00 Chef Abroad 00:30 Glutton For Punishment 01:00 Intrepid Journeys 02:00 Rajasthan - A Colourful Legacy 03:00 Planet Sports 04:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Globe Trekker Special 09:00 Planet Sports 10:00 Africa Trek 10:30 Four Men And A Lady 11:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Flavours Of Mexico 14:00 The Blue Continent 15:00 Essential Specials 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 18:00 Flavours Of Mexico 19:00 Globe Trekker 20:00 Travel Today 20:30 Travel Oz 21:00 Exotic Lives 22:00 People Of The Sea 23:00 Globe Trekker

00:05 Cow And Chicken 00:30 Cramp Twins 00:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy 01:20 Courage The Cowardly Dog 01:45 Eliot Kid 02:10 Ed, Edd n Eddy 02:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 03:00 The Powerpuff Girls 03:15 Chowder 03:40 The Secret Saturdays 04:05 Samurai Jack 04:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:55 Best Ed 05:20 Skunk Fu! 05:45 Cramp Twins 06:10 Eliot Kid 06:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 07:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 07:25 Cow And Chicken 07:50 Angelo Rules 08:05 Cartoon Network Dance Club 08:15 Adventure Time 08:40 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 09:05 Chowder 09:30 Chowder 10:00 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 10:55 The Powerpuff Girls 11:45 Adventure Time 12:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 13:25 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 13:50 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 14:15 Skunk Fu! 15:05 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 15:50 Ben 10 16:35 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 17:15 Chowder 18:05 Hero 108 18:30 Cartoon Network Dance Club 18:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 18:55 Chowder 19:20 Adventure Time 19:45 The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy 20:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 20:35 Cow And Chicken 21:00 Best Ed 21:25 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 21:50 Robotboy 22:00 Adventure Time 22:25 Hero 108

THE THIN RED LINE ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

00:40 River Monsters 03:25 Ultimate Survival 05:15 Extreme Fishing With Robson Green 06:05 River Monsters 07:00 Twist The Throttle 07:50 Street Customs Berlin 08:45 How It’s Made 09:10 Mythbusters 10:05 Cake Boss 10:30 Border Security 10:55 Auction Kings 11:25 Sea City: Building The Impossible 12:20 Ultimate Car Build-Off 13:15 Ultimate Survival 14:10 Miami Ink 15:05 Dirty Jobs 16:00 Twist The Throttle 16:55 Mythbusters 17:50 Survivorman 18:45 Cake Boss 19:10 Border Security 19:40 Auction Kings 20:05 How Does It Work?

20:35 How It’s Made 21:00 Flying Wild Alaska 21:55 Swamp Brothers 22:50 Dirty Jobs 23:45 Survivorman

00:05 The Gadget Show 00:30 Prototype This 01:20 Colony 02:10 Building The Future 03:00 Science Of The Movies 03:50 Weird Or What?

04:45 Nyc: Inside Out 05:40 How Stuff’s Made 06:10 Sci-Fi Science 07:00 Catch It Keep It 07:55 Cosmic Collisions 08:50 The Gadget Show 09:40 Powering The Future 13:15 Building The Future 15:45 Weird Connections 16:10 Brainiac 17:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 17:50 Sci-Fi Science 18:15 The Gadget Show 18:40 Things That Move 19:30 Under New York 20:20 Catch It Keep It 21:10 The Gadget Show 22:00 Things That Move 22:50 Under New York 23:40 The Gadget Show

00:05 Western Extreme 00:30 Game Chasers 01:45 Fall Flight 02:10 Wingshooting The World 03:25 Western Extreme 04:15 Game Chasers 05:30 Fall Flight 05:55 Wingshooting The World 07:00 The Crush With Lee And Tiffany 08:15 Familiar Waters 09:30 The Crush With Lee And Tiffany 10:45 World Class Sports Fishing 12:00 Legends of Rod & Reel 13:15 Adventure Guides - Fishing Edition 14:30 World Class Sports Fishing 15:45 Legends of Rod & Reel 17:00 Adventure Guides - Fishing Edition 18:15 World Class Sports Fishing

00:05 Unwrapped 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 00:55 Unwrapped 01:45 Lidia’s Italy 02:35 Barefoot Contessa 03:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 03:25 Guy’s Big Bite 04:15 Good Eats - Special 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 05:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 05:50 Paula’s Party 06:35 Barefoot Contessa 07:00 Chopped 07:50 Guy’s Big Bite 08:15 Everyday Italian 08:40 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 09:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Barefoot Contessa 10:20 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 10:45 Lidia’s Italy 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Paula’s Party 12:25 Everyday Italian 12:50 Paula’s Best Dishes 13:15 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 13:40 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 14:30 Lidia’s Italy 14:55 Unwrapped 15:20 Boy Meets Grill 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Guy’s Big Bite 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Lidia’s Italy 17:50 Everyday Italian 18:15 Paula’s Party 19:05 Good Eats - Special 19:30 Food Network Challenge 20:20 Paula’s Party 21:10 Everyday Italian 21:35 Everyday Italian 22:00 Lidia’s Italy

00:20 01:10 02:00 02:45 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:20 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55

Replacements Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Stitch Kim Possible Emperors New School Stitch Emperors New School The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Phineas & Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck S3 Good Luck Charlie

08:20 08:35 09:00 09:10 09:25 09:40 09:50 10:10 10:35 10:50 11:15 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:20 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:25 18:15 18:45 19:10 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:35

Fish Hooks Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Sonny With A Chance Yr 2 Hannah Montana Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Suite Life On Deck S3 Sonny With A Chance Yr 2 Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Phineas & Ferb The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Fish Hooks Good Luck Charlie Suite Life On Deck S3 Fish Hooks Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Suite Life On Deck S3 Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Jake & Blake Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Yr 2 Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Yr 2 Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas

00:25 Style Star 01:25 E!es 02:20 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Reality Hell 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Holly’s World 10:15 THS 12:05 Extreme Close-Up 13:05 Khloe And Lamar 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 17:55 Holly’s World 18:55 E!es 19:55 The Dance Scene 20:55 Kourtney And Kim Take New York 22:25 Style Star 23:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 23:55 Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami

00:15 01:30 02:20 04:50 06:30 2008 08:00 08:25 10:05 10:55 11:45 12:35 13:25 14:15 15:05 15:55 16:45 17:10 18:50 19:40 20:30 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Aiya TV Eds Up Untracked Lucas Oil Ama Motocross...

FIA European Drag Racing Cape Epic LG Action Sports World...

FIM World Supermoto 2010 Final Fu Fantasy Factory Glutton For Punishment Mantracker World Combat League Final Fu Fantasy Factory Cape Epic LG Action Sports World...

FIM World Supermoto 2010 Mantracker Glutton For Punishment Untracked World Combat League Wrestling With Reality Glutton For Punishment

00:30 I Was Murdered 01:20 Deadly Women 02:10 I Almost Got Away With It 03:00 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 03:50 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 04:45 Amsterdam Vice 05:15 Murder Shift 06:10 Mystery ER 07:00 Murder Shift 07:50 Forensic Detectives 08:40 Street Patrol 09:05 Real Emergency Calls 09:30 Mystery Diagnosis 10:20 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 11:10 FBI Files 12:00 On The Case With Paula Zahn 12:50 Disappeared 13:40 Mystery Diagnosis 14:30 Street Patrol 14:55 Real Emergency Calls 15:20 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 16:10 FBI Files 17:00 Forensic Detectives 17:50 Murder Shift 18:40 Real Emergency Calls 19:05 Mystery Diagnosis 19:55 Street Patrol 20:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 21:10 Disappeared 22:00 I Was Murdered 22:50 Most Evil 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 Killer Shots 01:00 Built For The Kill 01:55 In The Womb 02:50 Monster Fish 03:45 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 04:40 Restless Planet 06:30 Dragon Chronicles 07:25 World’s Weirdest 08:20 Built For The Kill 09:15 In The Womb 10:10 Monster Fish 11:05 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 12:00 Africa’s Secret Seven 13:00 Bizarre Dinos 14:00 Python Hunters 15:00 Built For The Kill 16:00 I, Predator 17:00 Monster Fish

THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT ON OSN ACTION HD 18:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 19:00 Bizarre Dinos 20:00 Python Hunters 21:00 Built For The Kill 22:00 I, Predator 23:00 Monster Fish

00:00 Killer Shots 01:00 Built For The Kill 01:55 In The Womb 02:50 Monster Fish 03:45 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 04:40 Restless Planet 06:30 Dragon Chronicles 07:25 World’s Weirdest 08:20 Built For The Kill 09:15 In The Womb 10:10 Monster Fish 11:05 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 12:00 Africa’s Secret Seven 13:00 Bizarre Dinos 14:00 Python Hunters 15:00 Built For The Kill 16:00 I, Predator 17:00 Monster Fish 18:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 19:00 Bizarre Dinos 20:00 Python Hunters 21:00 Built For The Kill 22:00 I, Predator

00:00 The Haunting In ConnecticutPG15 02:00 Blood: The Last Vampire-18 04:00 From Hell-18 06:00 The Stepfather-PG15 08:00 A Knight’s Tale-PG15 10:15 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider-PG15 12:00 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life-PG15 14:00 A Knight’s Tale-PG15 16:15 The One-PG15 18:00 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider-PG15 20:00 Collateral-18 22:00 Paranormal Activity-PG15

00:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 02:00 Neighbors From Hell 02:30 Bored To Death 03:00 Malcolm In The Middle 03:30 Hope And Faith 04:00 Yes Dear 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 06:00 According To Jim 06:30 Coach 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Yes Dear 08:30 Malcolm In The Middle 09:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 09:30 30 Rock 10:00 30 Rock 10:30 According To Jim 11:00 Coach 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Yes Dear 13:00 Hope And Faith 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 14:00 According To Jim 14:30 30 Rock 15:00 30 Rock 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Coach 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Malcolm In The Middle 18:30 Hope And Faith 19:00 Cougar Town 19:30 Traffic Light 20:00 The League 20:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Comedy Central Presents 22:30 Comedy Central Presents

00:15 01:45 18 04:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 PG15 15:00 17:00 19:15 21:00 23:00

Fast Lane-PG15 Battlestar Galactica: The Plan-

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Old Dogs-PG Return To Sleepaway Camp Sweet Home Alabama-PG15 Captain Ron-PG15 Mean Girls-PG15 Married To It-PG15 Swing Vote-PG15 Under The Tuscan Sun-PG15 Old Dogs-PG Le Donk And Scor-zay-zee A Film With Me In It-PG15 The Broken Hearts Club-18

The Thin Red Line-18 Fast Lane-PG15 The Italian Job (2003)-PG15 The Taking Of Pelham 123-18 Stonehenge ApocalypseThe Italian Job (2003)-PG15 Star Trek-PG Wrong Turn At Tahoe-18 Blindness-18 The Collector-18

01:00 Head Over Heels-PG15 03:00 Sherlock Holmes-PG15 05:15 Chasing Papi-PG 06:45 Another Year-PG15 09:00 Avatar-PG 11:45 From Justin To Kelly-PG 13:15 The Ramen Girl-PG15 15:00 Not The Messiah: He’s A Very Naughty Boy-PG15 16:45 Avatar-PG 19:30 An Education-PG15 21:30 Date Night-PG15

00:00 Yogi And The Invasion Of The Space Bears-FAM 02:00 Tooth Fairy-PG 04:00 Groove Squad-FAM 06:00 Yogi And The Invasion Of The Space Bears-FAM 08:00 Yogi Bear And The Magical Flight Of The Spruce Goose-PG 10:00 Garfield-PG 12:00 How To Train Your Dragon-PG 14:00 The Archies In Jugman-FAM 16:00 The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle-FAM 18:00 How To Train Your Dragon-PG

00:30 American Son-PG15 02:00 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time-PG15 04:00 The Loss Of A Teardrop Diamond-PG15 06:00 One Hot Summer-PG15 08:00 Maneater: Part I-PG15 10:00 Creation-PG15 12:00 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time-PG15 14:00 Celine: Through The Eyes Of The World-PG15 16:00 Maneater: Part I-PG15 18:00 Alvin And The Chipmunks: The 20:00 All Good Things-18

01:00 03:00 07:00 09:00 09:30 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 20:00 21:00 23:00

Rugby League Challenge Cup The Senior Championship Darts World Matchplay Futbol Mundial NRL Premiership Mobil 1 The Grid World Hockey ICC Cricket World Live Test Cricket Golfing World Darts World Matchplay AFL Highlights

01:00 Trans World Sport 02:00 Darts World Matchplay 04:00 NRL Premiership

06:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Rugby Union 10:00 Super Rugby Highlights 11:00 Trans World Sport 12:00 Live NRL Premiership 14:00 Darts World Matchplay 16:00 Masters Football 19:00 AFL Highlights 20:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 21:00 NRL Premiership 23:00 Snooker

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00

UFC The Ultimate Fighter Speedway Intercontinental Le Mans Cup WWE Bottom Line WWE NXT UFC Unleashed WWE Bottom Line V8 Supercars Championship Powerboats WWE Vintage Collection V8 Supercars Championship WWE SmackDown WWE Vintage Collection Intercontinental Le Mans Cup V8 Supercars Extra Le Mans Series Magazine Speedway UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed

01:00 03:00 04:40 06:20 08:00 10:05 11:35 13:10 14:50 17:15 18:50 20:25 22:00 23:30 23:45

Kalifornia Carrie The Boost Dead Of Winter Khartoum-PG Convicts-PG Love Bites-PG Romantic Comedy-PG West Side Story-FAM Chance Of A Lifetime-PG Killing Mr. Griffin-PG Canadian Bacon-PG Dead On Mgm’s Big Screen-FAM One Summer Love-PG

00:00 Top 10 01:00 Fashion Avenue 01:55 Big Boutique 02:25 How Do I Look?

03:20 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

04:15 Married Away 05:10 Homes With Style 05:35 Area 06:05 Clean House 07:00 Big Boutique 08:00 Homes With Style 09:00 Fashion Avenue 09:55 How Do I Look?

10:50 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

11:50 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

12:50 Clean House 13:45 Top 10 14:15 Mel B: It’s A Scary World 14:45 Jerseylicious 15:40 Ruby 16:35 Giuliana And Bill 17:30 How Do I Look?

18:25 Ruby

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 21:55 23:00

The Universe Ax Men IRT: Deadliest Roads UFO Hunters Mysteryquest The Universe Ax Men IRT: Deadliest Roads UFO Hunters Mysteryquest The Universe Ax Men IRT: Deadliest Roads UFO Hunters Mysteryquest The Universe Ax Men IRT: Deadliest Roads Mega Movers Man Moment Machine

Classifieds MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

Personal Trainer

Rolled-in, rolled-out feet

It’s normal for the ankles to pronate, or rotate inward, as you stand and walk, but in these two cases pronation can cause painful problems:

Normal pronation t Mild rotation

t No wear on either side of shoes

Overpronation (Medical name: pes planus) Common variation of foot anatomy; a problem for people with knock knees, flat feet t Middle, rear of foot roll inward t Shoes show wear on inside Can cause pain in: Arches, ankles, knees To correct it: Extra-stable athletic shoes designed to counteract overpronation Overpronation

Underpronation

Underpronation (Medical name: pes cavus) Less common than overpronation; has opposite effect; person often has high arches, tight Achilles tendon t Foot rolls outward; visible when person walks barefoot t Wear on outside edge of shoe

ACCOMMODATION

Can cause pain in: Knees, ankles, Achilles tendon, sole of foot (plantar fasciitis) To correct it: Lightweight trainers or other shoes that give foot room to pronate Source: New Balance Athletic Shoe, Runner’s World

© 2011 MCT

Graphic: Paul Trap

Personal T Trainer rainer r

A tune-up tune-up for for your your swim swim breathing breathing Breathing smoothly and efficiently is the key to the freestyle swimming stroke.

Some common problems and how to correct them

Sharing accommodation available at New Riggae. Please contact: 65026013/ 69901960. (C 3544) 25-7-2011

Breathing B reathing rrhythm hythm Error: Running out of breath or holding breath ,QKDOH WKrough mouth ([KDOH WKrough mouth, nose ([KDOH WKrough

Sharing accommodation available opposite Khaitan Jamiya in a flat from 1st August, for RC Goan or Mangalorean family. Contact: 99453500.

(C 3543)

Solution: Inhale and exhale exhale x Solution: fullyy through both mouth and nose Breathe continuously and rhythmically

EExhaling xhaling Error: ror: Head too far underwater Solution: Solution: Lift head slightly, slightlly, lookk toward approaching wall

IInhaling nhaling Error: Head rolled Error: rolled too far or held too long to side Solution: Turn head so lower edge d off mouth th is justt att water t level; take a “bite” of air Error: Looking back over shoulder g y or Solution: Look diagonally forward while inhaling

Accommodation available in 2 bedroom and 2 bathroom C-A/C apartment for a decent couple, executive bachelor or working lady in Mahboula, close to Gulf Road. Contact: 66216713.

(C 3534) 23-7-2011 FOR SALE

Error: Lifting chin chin Error: Solution: Pivot head as if it were a doorknob

Toyota Rav4 - Jeep 2007, 4 doors, full options, white color, 4 cylinder, KD

Source: “Swimming “ for Total Fitness””

by Jane Katz, ““The Wellness Guide to Lifelong Fitness”” © 2011 MCT Graphic: Paul Trap

3,900/-. Contact: 55323839.

(C 3539) Honda City 2009, white color, full automatic, 16000km, KD 2,300/-.

Contact: 65085629. (C 3540) Volvo S60 2001, light green metallic, run 190,000km, very good condition, price KD 900 only. Contact: 99881982.

(C 3541) Chevrolet Tahoe 1996, two doors, dark green, very good condition, price KD 850. Contact: 97792794.

(C 3542) 24-7-2011 “PILATE POWER GYM” for all over body strength and Aerobic training, almost brand new with owner’s manual nutritional guide and CD for details info pls do Google search, price less than half from market KD 55.

Contact: 99430379.

(C 3535) 23-7-2011 Items for sale in a spacious 2 BR + 2 Bathrooms

in Jabriya. Hall (12m), BR (5m), big kitchen, private area + shaded car park.

Contact: 66197107. (C 3533) 20-7-2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Ex 2009 - GLS - white color 45000 km - Price KD 2,400/-. Contact: 66729295. (C 3529) 18-7-2011

CHANGE OF NAME

SITUATION VACANT Nepalese, Sri Lanka, Philippine housemaid required for an Indian family in Salwa live-in, salary KD 100. Residence can be arranged. Contact: 97205370/ 25618766.

(C 3537) 23-7-2011

I, Mehlka, holder of Indian Passport No. G6110304 hereby change my name to Mehlka Mustansir. (C 3536) I, Shahina Begum Abdul Kalil, holder of Indian Passport No. J6455361 hereby change my name to

Shahina Begum Abdul Khaleel. (C 3538) 23-7-2011 I, Sathian Payyappat Velayudhan, Passport No. Z1886330 hereby change the name of my son Abhishak Passport No. G1582875 to Abhishek Payyappat Sathian.

(C 3531) 18-7-2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines RJA JZR BBC THY ETH UAE DHX ETD MSR FDB GFA QTR KAC JZR FCX JZR KAC JZR BAW JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY ETD GFA SHY MEA JZR JZR IRC MSR RBG KAC KAC MSR SYR UAL RJA FDB OMA

Flt 642 205 45 772 620 853 370 305 614 67 211 138 544 503 201 555 412 531 157 1541 206 302 53 352 284 362 344 855 132 125 301 213 1125 404 165 121 6521 623 3557 618 672 610 341 982 640 57 645

Arrival Flights on Monday 25/7/2011 Route AMMAN DAMASCUS DHAKA / BAHRAIN ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI CAIRO DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA CAIRO LUXOR DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MANILA / BANGKOK ASSIUT LONDON CAIRO ISLAMABAD MUMBAI DUBAI COCHIN DHAKA COLOMBO CHENNAI DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH ABU DHABI BAHRAIN ANTALYA BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN LAMERD SOHAG ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI CAIRO DAMASCUS WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN DUBAI MUSCAT

Time 0:05 0:25 0:55 1:15 1:45 2:25 2:55 2:55 3:05 3:10 3:15 3:20 4:40 5:15 5:25 6:10 6:15 6:20 6:30 7:10 7:15 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:20 8:20 8:25 9:00 9:10 9:30 9:35 10:45 10:55 11:10 11:15 11:20 12:10 12:55 12:55 13:15 13:20 13:25 13:30 13:35 13:50 14:00

QTR SVA KNE KAC JZR QTR KAC KAC JZR MLR ETD UAE KAC GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY JZR FDB ALK KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC JAI FDB OMA JZR VOS MEA DHX KLM UAE GFA QTR UAL JZR TAR JZR MSR DLH KAC JZR PIA

140 500 745 788 257 134 546 550 535 403 303 857 154 215 510 777 239 127 213 63 227 104 542 786 744 614 674 774 575 572 61 647 179 81 402 372 445 859 217 136 981 135 327 185 612 636 118 539 239

DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA SOHAG CAIRO COLOMBO / DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI ISTANBUL BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH DEIREZZOR DUBAI COLOMBO / DUBAI LONDON CAIRO JEDDAH DAMMAM BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH CHENNAI / GOA MUMBAI DUBAI MUSCAT DUBAI BAGHDAD BEIRUT BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN TUNIS DUBAI CAIRO FRANKFURT NEW YORK CAIRO SIALKOT

14:15 14:30 14:45 15:00 15:10 15:15 15:30 15:35 15:50 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:00 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:50 17:55 18:00 18:35 18:50 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:35 20:00 20:10 20:10 20:15 20:15 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:35 22:50 23:00 23:15 23:30 23:55

Airlines JZR AXB DLH KLM AIC PIA AFG BBC THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR JZR RJA GFA JZR BAW KAC FDB JZR KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD GFA SHY KAC MEA KAC JZR JZR JZR IRC KAC MSR KAC RBG MSR SYR

Departure Flights on Monday 25/7/2011 Flt Route 1540 CAIRO 390 MANGALORE / KOZHIKODE 637 FRANKFURT 447 AMSTERDAM 982 AHMEDABAD / CHENNAI 206 PESHAWER / LAHORE 406 DUBAI / KABUL 46 DHAKA 773 ISTANBUL 620 BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 615 CAIRO 139 DOHA 164 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 120 BAHRAIN 156 LONDON 545 ALEXANDRIA 54 DUBAI 534 CAIRO 153 ISTANBUL 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 787 JEDDAH 549 SOHAG 617 DOHA 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 1126 ANTALYA 165 ROME / PARIS 405 BEIRUT 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 212 DEIREZZOR 238 AMMAN 6522 LAMERD 103 LONDON 624 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 3558 SOHAG / ALEXANDRIA 611 CAIRO 342 DAMASCUS

Time 0:20 0:25 0:40 0:55 1:05 1:10 2:00 2:10 2:15 2:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 4:05 5:00 6:55 7:00 7:10 8:20 8:25 8:35 8:40 8:50 8:55 9:00 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:50 10:00 10:15 10:20 11:45 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:05 12:10 12:20 12:30 13:10 13:30 13:35 14:20 14:25

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

RJA FDB UAL OMA KAC KNE SVA JZR KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR VOS ETD MLR QTR UAE GFA ABY JZR JZR SVA FDB ALK JZR KAC KAC JAI FDB JZR JZR KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC DHX KLM UAE GFA FCX QTR KAC KAC TAR JZR JZR KAC UAL MSR

641 58 982 646 673 746 501 178 773 141 613 743 538 82 304 404 135 858 216 128 184 266 511 64 228 134 1501 283 571 62 528 268 331 351 648 403 543 373 445 860 218 102 137 301 205 327 554 504 411 981 613

AMMAN DUBAI BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH DUBAI RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN DAMMAM CAIRO BAGHDAD ABU DHABI DUBAI / COLOMBO DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH DUBAI BEIRUT RIYADH DUBAI DUBAI / COLOMBO BAHRAIN BEIRUT DHAKA MUMBAI DUBAI ASSIUT BEIRUT TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT CAIRO BAHRAIN BAHRAIN / AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD DUBAI / TUNIS ALEXANDRIA LUXOR BANGKOK / MANILA WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO

14:30 14:35 14:45 15:00 15:10 15:30 15:45 16:00 16:05 16:15 16:20 16:25 16:40 17:00 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:40 19:10 19:10 19:30 20:00 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:50

34

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 389

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Others may make it difficult for you to express yourself today as the energies seem a bit scattered. If you are busy with your own personal project, you may be able to avoid any unnecessary difficulties. You could find that you lack the ability to move or communicate with this person just now. There is a need to be respected and you will easily find respect, particularly if you do not demand it. You accomplish quite a lot today, especially with children or the elderly.

One grand quality about you is that you open yourself to new possibilities. A most important project will be completed today. Have a watermelon seed spitting contest party this evening. There is plenty of laughter to be heard and you are determined that there will be more days like this one.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Self-discipline and a sense of self-worth become important issues in your life. A fear of asserting yourself, however, can hold you back—as can coming on too strong. The trick is to learn to make the most of your personal talents and abilities—working within your limitations instead of feeling hemmed in by them. Saying or writing with style comes natural now. A yen for variety is a hallmark of this phase—this especially applies to romantic experience as well as artistic tastes. A sociable, congenial and slightly frivolous orientation sets in just now.

There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. A sense of harmony makes this a happy time. Decorate the dinner table with flowers this evening.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. By bad luck.

5. A unit of elastance equal to the reciprocal of a farad.

10. Having been taken in marriage.

13. The outermost (and toughest) of the 3 meninges.

14. An ancient city in northern Portugal.

15. A strong emotion.

16. A promontory in northern Morocco opposite the Rock of Gibraltar.

18. Common black-and-gray Eurasian bird noted for thievery.

20. The capital and largest city of Equatorial Guinea on the island of Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea.

21. A short aria.

22. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

24. Find repugnant.

25. An act punishable by law.

29. Either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye.

32. An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure equal to about a bushel.

36. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

38. (Irish) Mother of the Tuatha De Danann.

39. Having leadership guidance.

40. Not only so, but.

41. A state in the eastern United States.

44. A state in northwestern North America.

46. Large harmless hawk found worldwide that feeds on fish and builds a bulky nest often occupied for years.

48. A song that was formerly popular.

51. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

54. A language of Australian aborigines.

57. Filled with fear or apprehension.

59. An electrically charged particle.

60. Any of various deciduous or evergreen ornamental shrubs of the genus Abelia having opposite simple leaves and cymes of small white or pink or purplish flowers.

62. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

63. The compass point that is midway between north and northeast.

64. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

65. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

DOWN 1. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

2. A Bantu language spoken in southern Zaire.

3. Fleshy and usually brightly colored cover of some seeds that develops from the ovule stalk and partially or entirely envelopes the seed.

4. A deep bow.

5. A logarithmic unit of sound intensity.

6. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

7. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

8. Any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent.

9. A sheet or band of fibrous connective tissue separating or binding together muscles and organs etc.

10. The extent of something from side to side.

11. (Greek mythology) The Muse of lyric and love poetry.

12. Vacuum flask that holds liquid air or helium for scientific experiments.

17. A French abbot.

19. English clergyman who (with John Henry Newman and Edward Pusey) founded the Oxford Movement (1792-1866).

23. The size of a book whose pages are made by folding a sheet of paper three times to form eight leaves.

26. Fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used.

27. The content of cognition.

28. An undergarment worn by women to support their breasts.

30. A public promotion of some product or service.

31. Squash bugs.

33. Imagined as in a play.

34. Goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld.

35. An edge tool used to cut and shape wood.

37. A seat for one person, with a support for the back.

42. Manufactured in standard sizes to be shipped and assembled elsewhere.

43. An emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight).

45. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

47. The capital of Cape Verde on Sao Tiago Island.

48. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest.

49. A city in east-central France on the Rhone River.

50. Have supper.

52. Port city that is the capital and largest city of Latvia.

53. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

55. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

56. A zodiacal constellation in northern hemisphere between Cancer and Virgo.

58. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

61. 16 ounces.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You will feel a great deal of support from those around you today for whatever you want to accomplish. Inner searching and a sense of being vulnerable and exposed could tempt you to drop your responsibilities and spend more time on personal growth. Express your concern for a matter by uncovering the facts before confronting anyone. This will eliminate unnecessary emotional upheavals. It may be difficult to concentrate on your duties during this time. Continual change and transformation keeps you on the move and growing. You are able to research and find the truth of a subject or at the least, stimulate an interest to further research. This may include a future job interest. Tonight is for music.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Religion, truth and the world of philosophy and ideas are of interest today. You enjoy discussing the parts of literature that back up your belief system and may find yourself in a lively discussion with your friends.

Your love of simplicity brings out the truth and a sense of honesty in a group. You will enjoy a social situation that arises from nowhere today. You will have a grasp for abstract and spiritual ideas and the ability to present or communicate these to others.

As communication between friends is important to you, you may find a shopping expedition or some form of entertainment with your friends an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. A science fiction movie may be in order as you and your friends enjoy the imaginative approach to life.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You have a built-in sense of what is expected of you, even without guidance. Today you may find yourself thrown into a job in which you will need to take control. This could include gathering together the kids for learning how to cook a meal or teaching a class within your religious group. You will find it easy to work with the emotions and feelings of others. With your great imagination you guide others in finding problem-solving techniques. You are a born arranger of atmospheres—you enjoy working with people. You find yourself other-oriented just now, with many thoughts and ideas for partnership, rather than doing things alone. Friends may find you less self-centered than usual. There is an emphasis on close relationships tonight.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You are group-conscious, community-oriented and your awareness points in this direction today. You have a love affair going with the mind and you value all the offspring: words, ideas and thoughts, etc. You love to talk, particularly stimulating, wise conversations—there is nothing like it! There is an occasion to be in groups with family or friends. You may feel that stimulating mental adventures, either alone or with others, are among the most exciting experiences that life has to offer. There could be some competition game later today. Take a little trip, or get outside today. You may want to break your routine and try something new or different this evening. You may gain insight into day-to-day problems that will be of great value.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You have a basic self-esteem that is plain to all who meet you.

Your sense of discrimination and innate good taste means that you know good items from bad and are a connoisseur of all that is fine and beautiful. You have a respect for authority and your elders in general. This creates a warm welcome at any social scene. Your friends may need your help this afternoon. Fun times can be had, even if you are helping someone paint or perhaps move today. You may find yourself taking care of your friend’s children and enjoying every moment. You are great with kids and big on animals. You are an instant umbrella of warmth. Dreams and illusions, forgiveness and understanding arouse deep feelings now. Consider a goal chart for the remainder of this year.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You are in a planning mood and are very clearheaded and able to view all the paths. Go ahead and make those decisions. You can see the road ahead and will make the right choices. You may be able to enjoy and value your own time and surroundings. A visitor in your home this afternoon may compliment you on your decor. Memories from the past may come flooding in this evening. Perhaps you will thumb through the memory books and put your imagination to work in planning a new memory book. A big shoebox divided into years might help you put things in order. Coming to grips with the past or getting in touch with the mystical and the spiritual is the thing that gives you a sense of satisfaction and completeness.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

This is a time for imagination and creativity when it comes to ideas and thinking. This, coupled with the ability to put your thoughts into words, allows you to captivate others. Your mind tends to be very imaginative and ideas, writing poems or stories may appeal now. Research could be part of this. You could be most persuasive with others and eloquent in speech and communication. The situation is a natural for self-expression and lends itself to your particular ideas and thoughts. The practical is the preferred; form follows function. You have a dream of being in control—the puppet master—which could happen within your own business some day. You believe in an orderly society and you enjoy helping others become organized.

You are no secret. Outside or inside, there is not much difference.

You are just as you appear. Just being yourself and living your life to the fullest brings you joy. In some sense, just being you is both the goal and the means of traveling to that goal. Others sense that your life is important and enjoy the time they have with you. Today is a great time to enjoy those friends that are in your life now. You may be sought after as just the person to organize a volleyball team, baseball or a soccer game at a picnic. Your management abilities are in high focus and you are able to guide others in whatever activity is decided on today. Take some time out this evening to be with your own family. Enjoy their enthusiasm and use this time to express your own dreams.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This could be one of those days where you need to be observant instead of expressive. There are scheduled trips and activities with friends that will pull you along with the day and help bring your energies up— particularly if you go with the flow. Others could challenge you in some situation that results in opposition and blockage. Not perhaps a good time to become involved in trying to prove a point. It is a good time for research, reading and movie watching.

There is an emphasis on close relationships and a preoccupation with ideas of harmony. The intellectual and communicative talents of those close to you take on greater importance now. You may have fun taking pictures and measuring the height of the kids today for fun and record keeping.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You prefer the forest to the trees, the common to the uncommon. You are at home with ideas of man’s essential unity. Religious and psychological ideas are natural and easy to talk about today. Sometimes you can act as a minister to others. You sense and see the unity of life. Your insight and vision into what unites people and into the dreams and mystical regions of our mind are profound. You have an enchanting way of working and communicating with others in these matters and with music and the arts. New paths to world or personal unity are a major interest and you have a very practical sense of how to make your dreams real.

Your mind could be quite clear and natural. Ideas are flowing and could come with ease. You can talk, talk, talk.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

22433377 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist 25340300

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581 22641071/2

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Salem soso

22618787

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

25339330

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

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36

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Years

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

li fe s ty le

David Beckham

G O S S I P

is kitchen superstar now he couple welcomed their first daughter Harper Seven into the world on July 7 and the soccer superstar has been helping out with the domestic duties, while Victoria and their three sons adjust to the new arrival.

Accompanied by a picture of his culinary creation, David wrote on his Facebook page: “A little something I made earlier ... a homemade Risotto for the family.” The 36-year-old sportsman and his boys, Brooklyn, 12, Romeo, eight and six-yearold Cruz, have been getting used to having another girl in the house and accept they won’t be able to be as rough with her. He said: “Having a daughter is a whole new thing. Having pink in the house and lilac in the house. And you have to be a lot more delicate with girls

T

Sharon Osbourne takes a break from

‘The Talk’ he 58-year-old star insists she is not leaving the discussion program for good but she will not be on the panel when the show returns after its summer break in September because she wants to be with her spouse, rocker Ozzy Osbourne when he comes off tour. She told AOL TV: “I’ve kept it no secret that I really miss my husband. He’ll have been on tour for 18 months by the time it’s over. I’ve spent a lot of time away from him. He gets a break at the end of September and so I’ve asked for a little break so I can be with him. “I don’t want to give it up. It’s a great, great show.

We’ve all worked really hard over the last year. I’m not going to walk away from that. I just need some real good quality time to be with my hubby.” One reason Sharon wants to return is the close bond she has with co-hosts Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini. She said: “I’m very close to the women on the show. I didn’t think that I would be [because] none of us knew each other going into it. We just didn’t know each other socially.”

However, Sharon’s close friend, ‘America’s Got Talent’ host Nick Cannon thinks ‘The Talk’ will struggle without her. He said: “She’s marvellous. She’s the caregiver to us all. She just calms us all down.”

T

than with boys and I’m not used to that so it’s a whole new experience but it’s an amazing experience. To have that little bundle of joy and your hands and her making her little noises and opening her eyes - it really is an incredible moment for us.” Meanwhile, David has been voted the Most Influential Sports Star in the World Today. The former Real Madrid star has beaten a host of big names, including Barcelona soccer player Lionel Messi, 100m Olympics gold medal winner Usain Bolt and tennis superstar Rafael Nadal, to claim the title in the poll conducted by clothing brand Tekkers.

Tekkers founder Andy Ansah said: “David’s influence is as strong as ever.

He’s got the lot: looks, attitude, drive and a genuine global following.”

Alyson Hannigan has new priorities in life he ‘How I Met Your Mother’ star - who has a two-year-old daughter, Satyana, with husband Alexis Denisof - admits she no longer has time to pamper herself but always tried to make her tresses look good, because it can hide a multitude of sins. She said: “If you only have time for make-up or hair, definitely choose the hair

T

because you can always put on a pair of sunglasses and push the hair into your face and you’ll look very chic. My vanity time has gone out the window since I became a mom, so that’s a great timesaving trick.” The ‘American Pie’ actress also says she tries not to feel guilty about being a working mother and just enjoy the time she gets to spend

with her daughter. She revealed to Parade.com: “You have to look at the overall picture. When I’m sitting at work, I feel guilty that I’m not taking care of my daughter. But the fact that I’m working in the morning means that she and I will have the afternoon together. So, you just have to look at the overall picture rather than the day-to-day.”

Lindsay Lohan has deadline to find counselor

Selena Gomez overwhelmed by work

Jennifer Aniston gels with Theroux’s family he actress - who began dating the actor earlier this year was introduced to Justin’s documentarian cousin Louis Theroux at exclusive London venue Shoreditch House following the UK premiere of her new film ‘Horrible Bosses’. A source told Us Weekly magazine: “Louis obviously approved of Jennifer. It looked like they were having a great time, and they all seemed instantly at ease with each other. Justin looked proud of Jen and seemed quite manly and protective.” The trio enjoyed dinner and another onlooker said the former ‘Friends’ star “was really chilled out and seemed blissfully happy”. Louis is best known for his Gonzo style journalism on the British television series ‘Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends’ and ‘When Louis Met...’. Things seem to be getting serious between Jennifer and Justin as the couple are reported to be house-hunting together and have been looking around several Beverly Hills homes. According to sources, the pair are visiting up to six mansions a day and have even looked at Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s home, which has been on the market since June for a reported $60 million. Jennifer, 42, recently sold her Beverly Hills mansion for $38 million and is apparently in a “rush to buy” because she has to be out of the property by the end of the month.

T

he troubled actress appeared before Judge Stephanie Sautner at a Los Angeles courthouse for a Progress Hearing where the voiced her concerns Lindsay has not enrolled in counseling, as required as part of her sentence for taking a necklace from a boutique. Judge Sautner told Lindsay ’s lawyer, Shawn Holley: “We’re two months into this and in those two months she has spent over a month incarcerated. “She needs to find an individual therapist “I’m going to give her 21 days to provide proof that she has found a counselor. You are to provide proof to this court. If I do not have proof in 21 days I will revoke probation and set up a hearing.” Shawn replied: “She is indicating to me that that will not be a problem.”

The ‘Mean Girls’ actress was freed on 29th June after serving 35 days of house arrest for the necklace theft and for violating the terms of probation set for her 2007 conviction for driving under the influence (DUI).

She has also started 480 hours of commu-

T

Demi Lovato

T

he 19-year-old singer-and-actress - who is dating 17-year-old pop superstar Justin Bieber - credits her family for keeping her grounded and stopping her going off the rails, but she admits she occasionally struggles to cope with all her different commitments. She told The Guardian newspaper: “I have a really great support system around me, and that keeps me straight. “It gets overwhelming at times, the scheduling, with touring, acting, my clothing line, music - there are times when you almost break down. Luckily, my mom is my manager so I’ve always got her with me.” In addition to her working commitments, Selena also had to find the time to study for her high school diploma during breaks from filming Disney TV shows ‘Hannah Montana’ and ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’. Selena said recently: “I went to school until eighth grade. I was not the popular kid - I sat in the back, I had, like, two friends. I was mostly schooled on set. I liked that.”

hopes to help through honesty he ‘Skyscraper singer entered rehab last November for three months to receive treatment for her eating disorders and self-harming and believes by being open about her struggles, other people may be willing to seek help. When asked why she’s been so vocal about her personal issues, the 18-year-old star told AOL Music: ‘Because I know that if I can use my voice to speak to one person, or one family, then I’ve done my part. I feel like it’s no coincidence that God put me through all of this and has also given me the voice that I have. I feel like my purpose on earth is much greater than just being a singer, a musician or actress. I think it’s to reach out to people and to raise awareness of these issues that not many people speak about. ‘I would love to see people get help for the

T

issues that I’ve spoken about and see me as an example and say, ‘Wow, there is a life outside of this addiction or this eating disorder.’ I think for me, if it prevents somebody from going down the path that I did, or if it saves someone’s life because they choose to get help, then I’ve done my part.’ Demi ñ who also suffers from bipolar ñ says while her problems are ‘ongoing’ she is trying to get on with her life the best she can. She said: ‘This is an ongoing process and the hardest part about these diseases is that they’re things that I’m going to have to face every day for the rest of my life. I’m going to mess up and I’m not going to be perfect, but as long as I try everyday to get better and better myself, then I’m one step ahead of where I was before.’ — Bangshowbiz

nity service at the Los Angeles Downtown Women’s centre. Judge Sautner set another date for a progress report as October 19, where she said she will review Lindsay’s completion of a shoplifters alternative program, her progress in psychological counseling and progress on her community service. She added: “For the record all fines and fees have been paid. Get done with that community service, and your life will be back to normal.” Lindsay’s legal woes do not end there, however, as she is also reportedly being sued for $1 million by a former employee of the Betty Ford Center - where she was ordered to undergo treatment by a court last year - for assault and battery. Dawn Holland is set to file the lawsuit alleging the 25-year-old star twisted and pulled her right hand for eight to 10 seconds during a scuffle after she tried to breathalyse her, which she claims caused injuries which have caused her “great mental, physical and nervous pain and suffering.”

A

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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

Years

lifestyle

2010 Miss World Next Top Model Venezuelan Luna Ramos (left) crowns her countrywoman Karen Soto after winning the 2011 edition of the competition in Beirut, late on July 23, 2011. Soto was crowned winner amongst 34 models who participated in the beauty pageant. — AFP

Caracas fights for facelift to woo tourists, residents

C

aracas does not figure large on the map for the thousands of tourists who flock to South America every year lured by the promise of ancient civilizations, mysterious jungles and pulsating rhythms. Even for residents of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas-once a popular home-from-home for waves of immigrants drawn by its quality of life-is today synonymous with insecurity and traffic nightmares. Now a slew of new initiatives is aiming to give the city a more human face: more parks and green spaces, wider pavements, the renovation of the historic city center, more police patrols and more open-air cultural events.

“I think people are prepared to fight more now for their open spaces than they did before,” said Cheo Carvajal, author of the “Caracas By Foot” column in a Venezuelan daily and a leading advocate for the rights of pedestrians and cyclists. “There must be a pressure from below from citizens demanding their rights, and from

‘Godfather’

Coppola unveils new 3D ‘Twixt’

above with concrete policies to recover such spaces.” But at night, when Caracas, a city of four million residents, turns into a ghost town because of fears of robbery and violence, when traffic jams can last for hours and onlookers seek out the bright lights of the shopping malls, it is apparent there is still much to be done.

“We need more public open spaces, and people have to get over their fear and visit these public places and take care of them, instead of remaining behind closed doors at home,” said young mother Patricia Medina.

About 14,000 people were murdered in Venezuela in 2010, which has a homicide rate of 48 in every 100,000 — a near-record in Latin America. According to non-governmental organizations the rate in Caracas is as high as 100 murders for every 100,000 residents.

Reclaim a city And here in oil-rich Venezuela, where gas is the cheap-

est in the world at just pennies for a liter, about five million vehicle journeys happen every day 24 percent in private cars-clogging the city streets. “We can’t reclaim a city by insisting that it is dangerous.

Caracas has potential, and we have to take risks to highlight this. The more that people take back the streets, the safer they will be,” Carvajal added. One resident Sofia Bautista is helping to lead the way. “For several months I have been doing yoga in the park. It’s the perfect place because Caracas has such rich nature. But even doing this in a group you are still a little bit afraid because of the stories you hear about robberies and attacks,” she said.

The city’s historic center is also one of its least safe places, where the dirt, insecurity and lack of pedestrian walkways need to be tackled. “We are going to transform Caracas into a much nicer city,” pledged Jorge Rodriguez, mayor of the Libertador district, the most heavily populated in the capital. “Caracas will win a place on the tourist

routes,” he vowed. For the July celebrations of the bicentennial of the nation’s independence from its former Spanish rulers, the city center was spruced up, historic buildings were renovated and a host of cultural events have been organized to breath fresh life into streets.

But sharp, and apparently irreconcilable differences between allies of firebrand President Hugo Chavez and several opposition mayors have not helped forge a common political will.

Architect Daniel Fernandez Shaw, who has taken part in several urban projects in Caracas for the past 40 years, said “compared to other cities like Quito or Bogota we have not seen much planning” in the Venezuelan capital.

Above all, Shaw said, the transformation of the city needs to come from improving the conditions in working class districts, which would need an investment of some 320 billion euros ($459 billion), in a nation where social inequality remains huge. — AFP

Jember

Fashion Carnival

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egendary director Francis Ford Coppola is ready to remind fantasy movie fans why they fell in love with him in the first place with a chilling return to the horror genre, “Twixt,” featuring his own twist on 3D. Making his first return to Comic-Con International 20 years after presenting “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” here, “The Godfather” director on Saturday enthralled thousands of movie buffs, both young and old, as he previewed his upcoming film that looks to be a mystery wrapped in horror. “I’ve always loved the gothic romance story, the horror story...I began my apprenticeship with Roger Corman. I learned the low-budget horror film at his knee. I was assistant, which meant I washed his car every week and mowed the lawn, but I learned a tremendous amount from Roger,” Coppola said.

Five-time Oscar winner Coppola, 72, whose work includes “The Godfather,” writing “Patton” and making “Apocalypse Now,” has for many years been selective of his directorial efforts, often choosing to work outside Hollywood’s studio system where he admits he has diminished creative control. With “Twixt,” he continues to put his Coppola spin on moviemaking by using 3D technology in a way he hopes will be less cumbersome for audiences. Within the tale, he has placed on-screen cues telling audiences when to put on 3D glasses so they don’t have to wear them throughout the entire film.

Coppola donned the cap of lecturer Saturday at Comic-Con, a gathering of tens of thousands of fans of all things science-fiction, fantasy and comic in books, movies and TV. “I was a little taken aback when I heard certain studio execs say they are going to make all their films in 3D,” he said, expressing reservations over new cinema technology. He said that, while he enjoyed the high quality of a 3D movie like “Avatar,” he did remove his glasses at various times. His is a similar complaint of many fans of 3D movies who have experienced eye fatigue.

Coppola also gave Comic-Con fans a sort of “dress rehearsal” for an ambitious plan that will see him screen “Twixt” in various cities accompanied by live music. He will oversee the screenings much like a conductor, and “perform the film for each audience, uniquely for them,” he said. “I want to bring life back into the movies,” Coppola announced in a rather giddy fashion to the delight of audiences. — Reuters

Indonesian models wearing outfits with an animal theme take part in the 10th Jember Fashion Carnival (JFC) in Jember, East Java yesterday. About 400 models took part in the carnival where they paraded their outfits on 3.6kilometer-long catwalk. — AFP photos

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

lifestyle

Hancock to promote jazz as UN ambassador

In this picture US-Singer Macy Gray is per forming at the Blue Balls Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland. — AP

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azz musician Herbie Hancock was appointed a UNESCO goodwill ambassador, pledging to use music to cross cultural boundaries and promote literacy and creativity among youth around the world. The pianist and composer, who has won 14 Grammy awards and seen many of his songs become standards during a career spanning five decades, threw his support behind a UNESCO project to declare an international jazz day on April 30 each year. “The idea is to have performances, but not just performances, to have discussions, to have dances to have perhaps even some fun games to do with the history of jazz that young people might be interested in,” Hancock said in an interview before his appointment at a ceremony at UNESCO headquarters late on Friday.

The 71-year-old musician, who shot to fame in the 1960s playing with trumpeter Miles Davis, also hopes to use his celebrity to win inclusion for jazz on the list of intangible world cultural heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list aims to promote respect for cultural heritage and increase mutual respect for communities worldwide. Hancock said he would lobby US officials, including Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, for Washington to recognize the UNESCO convention on intangible cultural heritage.

Hancock, who was acclaimed as a child prodigy after he started playing piano in 1947, believes that music can bring a wider educational message to many young people, particularly in developing countries. “One idea that is interesting to me is jazz as a metaphor for targeting literacy. With jazz, you don’t just pick up an instrument and start improvising: it’s about discipline. Freedom with discipline is the ethos of jazz,” he said.

A devout Buddhist, Hancock’s latest musical venture, the Grammy-winning “Imagine Project”, featured musicians from around the world and he says he is considering another similar album. “ The theme of that record was about a path to peace through global collaboration,” he said, saying the interaction of musicians from different cultures had fired his creativity. “I was amazed at what they brought from their cultures, and I think they were surprised by what I brought from mine.” With a tough schedule of live performance and commitments to other educational projects, such as the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazzan international institution which he chairs devoted to the development of music education worldwide-the one thing not on Hancock’s agenda is retirement. “For me there is no limit to what the possibilities are, and so I feel no need to even entertain the idea of retiring,” said the composer of hits such as “ Watermelon Man”, “Chameleon” and “Cantaloupe Island”.

“There is so much that I haven’t done.

There are an infinite number of ways of looking at things.” — Reuters

Barbie’s US toymaker father dies, aged 95

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lliot Handler, the co-founder of US toy giant Mattel who gave the world the Barbie doll, has died aged 95, the company said Friday. Handler, who with his wife Ruth named the doll after their daughter Barbara in 1959 — and two years later created Ken, after their son-died on Thursday from heart failure, according to the TMZ celebrity news website. “We were very saddened to learn about the passing of Elliot Handler, the Mattel founder who created some of the world’s most beloved toys,” Mattel said in a statement. “He not only inspired and delighted the employees of Mattel but generations of children around the world. The 30,000 employees of Mattel are proud to continue his legacy and love of play for generations to come.” Mattel was founded in 1945 by Handler and his business partner Harold “Matt” Matson, who combined their names to create the world-beating brand. Matson was later bought out by the Handlers.

Barbie, the toy doll owned by generations of girls, wowed the world when she made her debut at a New York toy fair in 1959, leading to sales of 300,000 that same year. —AFP

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

lifestyle

Andrew Garfield calls Spider-Man a role for life H Sarajevo Film Fest awards jailed Iranian director

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he Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) opened late on Friday honoring jailed Iranian film director Jafar Panahi whose directorial debut launched the first SFF 17 years ago in an act of defiance against the 1992-95 war. The SFF was founded close to the end of a 43-month siege of the city by the Bosnian Serb forces, and has grown into the largest film gathering in the Balkans. “The first festival was opened with Panahi’s White Balloon under extremely difficult conditions but with incredible enthusiasm and a dream of freedom,” said festival director Mirsad Purivatra.

“This amazing artist continues to remind us of the importance of freedom and artistic creativity, which is exactly what created the Sarajevo Film Festival in 1995,” he said presenting a special Heart of Sarajevo Award to Panahi. Panahi was arrested last year and accused of making a film without permission and inciting opposition protests after the 2009 Iranian election. He was jailed in December for six years and banned for 20 years from filmmaking, writing or any other form of artistic work.

Winner of many international awards and a supporter of Iranian opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi in the disputed presidential vote, Panahi was also banned from travelling abroad for 20 years. The film community strongly condemned his conviction. “For the last six months I have been waiting for the final sentence to be delivered, and this limbo status is no better than being in jail,” Panahi said in a letter to SFF organizers as he awaits the verdict of a court appeal.

“For a filmmaker, when filmmaking is made impossible, living under any given condition is imprisonment,” he said and expressed a hope that he would be able to attend SFF once again. The SFF acts as a major showcase for East European films. This year it will show more than 200 movies during the nine-day event. Nine feature films from the region, spreading from Austria in the West to Turkey in the East, of which SFF helped produce three, will compete for the 25,000 euro ($36,060) Heart of Sarajevo Award. Every year SFF hosts about 100,000 film fans, many from neighboring countries and hoteliers and tourism officials say that nearly all accommodation was booked up.

The most famous guests this year will be German film director Wim Wenders, British actress Charlotte Rampling and Hollywood star Michael Fassbender.— Reuters

e may change his mind later, but right now Andrew Garfield says the role of comic book superhero Spider-Man in the upcoming reboot of the hit film franchise is a part that could last a lifetime. “I could play this character for the rest of my life,” an enthusiastic Garfield, 27, told Reuters at Comic-Con on Friday, where the first few clips of the film were revealed to fans. Comic-Con International, an event where tens of thousands of fans of comics and sciencefiction stories gather annually, has become a major launch pad for Hollywood studios promoting movies, and the makers of “The Amazing SpiderMan” delighted them on Friday with a look at its new crime fighter, Garfield.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” will land in theaters in 2012, and it has been pitched to fans of Peter Parker-a.k.a. Spider-Manas a franchise reboot that takes the boy back to his roots as a gawky teenager who acquires the web-spinning capabilities and super strength of a spider. The first three movies, starting with 2002’s

“Spider-Man” and directed by Sam Raimi, took in a whopping $2.5 billion worldwide, but the makers decided that to continue thrilling loyal fans, the franchise needed a fresh start.

So, they hired the little -known Garfield (who since then made a name for himself in Facebook film “The Social Network) to portray Parker and director Marc Webb (independent film “500 Days of Summer”) to breathe new life into the series. “I think Marc wanted to make it as authentic as possible ... what happens to this kid? What happens to a kid if he really truly gets these superpowers? But also what the real struggle it is to be a teenager” Garfield told Reuters.

The new star got off to an impressive start at a Comic-Con panel for the upcoming movie. He posed as a rogue fanboy dressed in a Spider-man costume and stood in the audience at a microphone where fans ask questions of stars on stage. “Peter Parker has inspired me to be stronger,” he read from a piece of paper.

“He inspired Andrew, me, to be braver.” Then, Garfield delivered a line worthy of any comic book character who had been helped by the amazing boy with spider-like attributes. “He saved my life,” Garfield said.

And the Comic-Con crowd was caught in his sticky web. Whether “The Amazing Spider-Man” can save the franchise in theaters awaits next year’s film release, but there is a precedent for success. When Warner Bros wanted to revive its Batman film franchise, the studio hired Christopher Nolan-at the time a relatively little-known director of hit indie movie “Insomnia” — to direct 2005’s “Batman Begins.” The result of the reboot? “Batman Begins” was a smash hit that led to another blockbuster, “The Dark Knight,” and a third movie in the works. Garfield knows that the pressure to perform is on him and Webb to do the same for Spider-Man. “This is really a lot of responsibility,” he told Reuters, “and I feel the responsibility of the symbol I was given to portray.” — Reuters

Actor Andrew Garfield poses for a portrait at Comic Con in San Diego, Calif. on Friday, July 22, 2011. Garfield stars in the feature film ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ set to be released next year. — AP

Actor Destin Pfaff, from “Sushi Girl”, poses for a portrait.

Comic-Con set for ‘Cowboys & Aliens’

T Comic Con attendees Alexandra Carvache (right) and Christopher Williams pose for a portrait dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Spielberg plans return trip to ‘Jurassic Park’

he red carpet is in place and the fans are lining up as Comic-Con prepares for its first Hollywoodstyle movie premiere. “Cowboys & Aliens” will make its world premiere Saturday night at the San Diego Civic Theatre. Director Jon Favreau and stars Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde are among the celebrities expected to attend, along with hundreds of Comic-Con attendees, who followed clues texted to their cell phones to win tickets to the event. “This kind of overshadows Comic-Con,” said 22year-old Khalil Tiner, a six-year veteran of the fan festival. “This is something new, and it’s exciting.”

Wendy Lee of Los Angeles and Chris Saguisag of San Francisco, both 44, said they enjoyed dashing around town trying to win tickets. “We got a lot of cardio running after the bricks” that contained a chance

to attend the premiere, Lee said. “It’s something we worked for really hard.” The couple was in line hours ahead of the scheduled 8 p.m. showing, but they didn’t mind missing the colorful happenings inside the San Diego Convention Center. “We already saw everything we wanted to see,” Lee said.

Favreau said he wanted to unveil his sci-fi Western at Comic-Con to thank conventioneers for their support of the films he introduced there in previous years, including his two “Iron Man” movies. Favreau showed early footage from “Cowboys & Aliens” during a ComicCon panel last year, whetting fans’ appetites for the film, and he invited them to be a part of the premiere to “see what that part of the equation is like.” “They generally don’t get to experience that part of it,” he said. “That’s more of a Hollywood thing.” - AP

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wenty years after his Velociraptors and T Rex ruled Jurassic Park, director Steven Spielberg says the maneaters are returning to a movie theater near you-teeth sharpened, and not for the popcorn. Spielberg Thursday told audiences at the giant Comic-Con International convention in San Diego that he was at work on a new “Jurassic Park” movie, delighting a packed house at the pop culture showcase. “We have a story. We have a writer working on the script, and I think we will see a ‘Jurassic 4’ in our foreseeable future, probably in the next two or three years.”

“Jurassic Park” thrilled audiences in 1993 with its modern-day dinosaurs developed from DNA in fossils that wreaked havoc upon a theme park where, instead of enjoying the wonders of science, the guests got eaten. The movie took in $915 million worldwide in its day and spawned two sequels. Spielberg made his first trek to ComicCon this year to show audiences clips from his upcoming film, “The Adventures of Tintin,” which was directed by the Oscar winner and produced by “Lord of the Rings” filmmaker Peter Jackson. It is scheduled for release in December of this year.

The movie is based on the comic books by Belgian artist Georges Remi, whose pseudonym was Herge, and they tell of a young journalist and his faithful dog who find themselves on numerous adventures, solving mysteries. Spielberg said he and Jackson, a pair of filmmakers he characterized as “just two huge Tintin fanboys,” began conceptualizing the movie as many as six years ago. He said they used state-of-the-art digital camera technology and capitalized on innovations developed by director James Cameron on his smash hit movie, “Avatar.”

“We wanted to use animation to get as close to the characters that (Herge) invented and not characters that we would then reinvent based on big names, big movie stars,” Spielberg said. The director, a sci-fi film fan since childhood who made the genre movies “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” was at Comic-Con to receive an Inkpot Award for achievement in science-fiction movies. He received a standing ovation from the crowd and told them: “We all love the same source material that has brought all of us here and the source material has always been the collective imaginations of so many brilliant artists and storytellers.” —Reuters

In this image, zombies are shown in a scene from “The Walking Dead.”

Actor Eric Balfour, from “Eureka”, poses for a portrait.

Comic Con attendees Brandon McAnally (right) and Erin Redshaw pose for a portrait dressed as Captain America and a USO girl.

Schwarzenegger son hurt in Malibu surf mishap

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Comic Con attendee Stephanie Thorpe poses for a portrait dressed as Winnowill from “ElfQuest”.

he youngest son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver is recovering in a hospital after a body-boarding accident at a Malibu beach last weekend, a family statement said Friday. Christopher Schwarzenegger, 13, “is a brave boy and is expected to make a full recovery,” the statement said. The teen suffered a collapsed lung and broken bones. Shriver was composed when she alerted emergency workers in a phone call - apparently from the beach - about 12:20 pm Sunday. He “can’t move off the beach maybe like a broken ribs or something like that,” Shriver tells a Los Angeles County Fire Department operator, according to a recording released by the department. “He’s having trouble breathing,” she says.

Two of his siblings tweeted about their 13-year-old brother: Sister Katherine says “he’s a tough little guy and getting better,” and brother Patrick says “keep praying.” The statement thanked paramedics, lifeguards, doctors and hospital staff who have cared for the injured teen. The statement was issued by the former California governor and Shriver. The couple are separated and in the midst of a divorce. — AP

Andrew Garfield calls Spider-Man a role for life

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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2011

Fans, stars tweet the blues

Fans mourn

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oul singer Amy Winehouse, who died unexpectedly at age 27, received numerous tributes Saturday from ordinary fans around the world and music luminaries ranging from Tony Bennett to producer Mark Ronson. The “Rehab” singer whose problems with substance abuse were well-documented, died at her home in London, and while it appears she has lost her battle with drink and drugs, an official cause of death has yet to be determined. Nevertheless, fans speculated that she became another in a long list of singers, actors and other celebrities whose problems in the public limelight led to their demise-Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Heath Ledger.

Winehouse was the top trending topic on Twitter where many tweets read like this one from gigglinben: “meh hate waking up to hear #amywinehouse is gone...dreaded it for ages...so young & so much talent sadly gone..hope she finds peace” CRIerPourMoi posted: “her beautiful voice will be sorely missed. so unfortunate her disease got the best of her. RIP...” The British singers’ talent was discovered when she was 16, and her debut album “Frank” in 2003 earned acclaim. But it was her second CD, 2006’s “Back to Black” that made her a star. The record produced a string of memorable tunes, including “You Know I’m No Good,” “Love Is a Losing Game” and “Rehab,” which contained the line: “They tried to make me go to rehab. I said ‘no, no, no.”“ The album reached reached No. 1 in Britain and earned Winehouse five Grammys, pop music’s highest honors.

Amy Winehouse as police probe diva’s death

Ronson calls Winehouse “soulmate” Ronson, the “Back to Black” producer, tweeted that Winehouse “was my musical soulmate & like a sister to me. this is one of the saddest days of my life.” Indeed, Twitter was alive with tributes from a who’s who of the music world.

Rapper and media mogul Diddy said “RIP Amy Winehouse” on the social network website and rocker Pete Wentz sent out “super sad to hear about the news. RIP. never take life for granted.”

Some tweets had a harsher tone, such as this from mattissotrendy: “It’s sad when anyone dies, but I find it hard to respect a drug addict. No matter how talented they were”. But singer/songwriter and Matchbox 20 frontman Rob Thomas sought to pour cold water on many of the more sarcastic remarks by tweeting, “So many people saying that because it’s not a surprise that Amy Winehouse passed, it’s not sad. I hope you have more compassion for friends.” —Reuters

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Floral tributes are seen outside the residence of singer Amy Winehouse in Camden Square, north London, yesterday. — AP

‘Rehab’ caricature

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More than just a

ans and fellow stars mourned Amy Winehouse yesterday after the troubled British singer, who immortalized her struggles with addiction in the hit “Rehab”, was found dead at her London home aged 27. Reports said the Grammy award-winning soul diva, with her trademark beehive hairstyle, had overdosed on drugs but police refused to speculate on the cause of her death on Saturday, saying it remained unexplained. “A date and time for the post-mortem will not be scheduled before today morning,” London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement yesterday. It said enquiries were still continuing and no arrests had been made. Fans gathered and laid flowers and candles at the police cordon outside her house in Camden, north London, soon after her death was announced, while friends and fellow stars voiced their shock and sadness. Her death makes her the latest tragic member of a club of rock stars who have died at the age of 27, including Rolling Stone Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Doors singer Jim Morrison and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Producer Mark Ronson, who worked closely with Winehouse, said: “She was my musical soulmate and like a sister to me. This is one of the saddest days of my life.”

With her distinctive hairdo, lashings of eye make-up and garish tattoos, Winehouse rocketed to fame with her 2003 debut album “Frank”. It went triple platinum in Britain.

The 2006 follow-up, “Back to Black”, was a worldwide smash hit, reaching number one in Britain and number two in the US charts and winning five Grammy awards. But her battle with drink and drugs increasingly overshadowed her talent.

The album also spawned the hit “Rehab”, which contains the lines: “They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no.... Just try and make me go to rehab, I won’t go, go go.”

In the end she did go several times-most recently this year, just weeks before she embarked on what was meant to be a 12-date European comeback tour. But she pulled out following a disastrous opening performance in Serbia on June 18 when she was booed on stage, apparently too drunk to sing. She stumbled her way through the 90-minute gig, mumbling and failing to follow her band. She made her final public appearance at The Roundhouse venue in Camden on Wednesday, joining her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield on stage. She briefly danced and encouraged the audience to buy the 15-year-old’s album.

On Saturday police forensic officers were seen going in and out of her home before a black private ambulance pulled up outside. Two officials in black suits then brought out a body bag on a stretcher. “I am aware of reports suggesting this death is the result of a suspected drugs overdose,” police Superintendent Raj Kohli told reporters at the cordon outside her house late Saturday. “But I would like to re-emphasize that no post-mortem examination has yet taken place and it would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of death.” One neighbor reported hearing screaming coming from the house in the early hours of Saturday.

Outside her flat in Camden Square fans left flowers, notes, guitars, teddy bears and photographs, as well as cigarettes and alcoholic drinks. “Amy, we will miss your great talent. RIP,” read one note left in a bunch of flowers. Shamini, a 25-year-old accountant and a Winehouse fan, told AFP: “It’s such a young age, and, it’s unbelievable, it’s unbelievable. It’s almost like when Michael Jackson died.” In the run-up to her live return, Winehouse spent a week at an addiction treatment clinic in London, reportedly at the suggestion of her father, Mitch, over concerns that she was drinking too much.

Her father, a London taxi driver and jazz aficionado, flew back from New York after his death. Britain’s Sunday Mirror tabloid quoted him as saying: “This isn’t real. I’m completely devastated.” Winehouse married Blake Fielder-Civil in Miami in May 2007 but they had a tempestuous relationship. He spent part of their marriage behind bars for an attack on a pub landlord and they divorced in July 2009.

Her record label Universal said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer. Our prayers go out to Amy’s family, friends and fans at this difficult time.” US singer Carole King said she hoped Winehouse had “found peace now wherever she is.” Pop star Rihanna wrote on Twitter: “Dear God have mercy!!! I am SICK about this right now!” — AFP

my Winehouse hadn’t released an album in four years, hadn’t had a hit in just as long, and when she performed on stage, the headlines she usually drew were for atrocious performances. She was an addict who, like so many performers before her, let her talents fall prey to a druggedup lifestyle. Still, she transfixed.

Tabloids chronicled her many tribulations, and fans patiently waited for a third album, knowing that with that amazing voice, along with her bitterly honest lyrics, she could eventually return to form and be that riveting singer-songwriter who captured the world’s attention with the self-revelatory “Rehab.”

Just as Winehouse was so much more than a drug addict, her music was so much more - and richer than “Rehab.” Certainly, it was the song that made her a worldwide sensation - it also captured her record and song of the year honors at the Grammys in 2008. But the former teen celebrity came into her own as an artist a few years before, with the 2003 album “Frank.” Whereas “Black to Black” relied heavily on a retro, 1960s soul groove, “Frank” harkened to an even earlier time. On the album, she enveloped a world inhabited by jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington, yet decidedly modern: One song was titled “(Expletive) Me Pumps.”

Her malleable voice had great range, and expertly embodied the emotion of the moment - from sassy defiance to lovelorn longing.

The album made her a hit in her native Britain, and also made the spotlight white-hot on the singer, and her apparent demons.

Tabloids chronicled her drunken behavior, drug use, dramatic weight loss, and troubled love life it was around this time she became involved with Blake Fielder-Civil, who would later become her husband, as well as her drug partner.

Though Winehouse would remain a fixture in the press, it would be more than three years for “Back to Black,” her next album, to come out. A triumph when it

debuted in Britain in late 2006, its release in the United States was highly anticipated: At one intimate showcase before its release, VIPs like Jay-Z showed up to get a listen to the much-heralded performer.

Musically, Winehouse delivered.

The album was considered one of the best of that year, and will likely be considered as one of the best of her generation. Delving into her own warped mindset, the album chronicled her troubled romantic life and the despair over it with sultry brilliance: Her drug troubles only took center stage once, on “Rehab” (A song “Addicted,” about her love of marijuana, was left off the album’s American edition).

“Rehab” was the album’s biggest single, becoming a top 10 hit in the United States. While the album didn’t spawn any follow-up hits, it was a cohesive gem that transfixed the music world.

Although she was a musical triumph, she became better known to the masses worldwide for her precipitous decline into the depths of drug addiction. —AP